#though it could have included at least one desi film | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

watchingblsnowandforever · 2 years ago

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Thank you so much for the tag @desi-yearning!

1. What's your first language? Are you more comfortable in it than English?

My first language is bengali. Honestly, it depends on my mood and the context. I'm mostly fluent in both. But I do wish I could be a bit better in Bengali.

2. Which state are you from and do you like it?

West Bengal. Based on how specific the question is, I'll have different answers. If it's in general, then yes. But I absolutely detest what the government is doing, so yeah. On the other hand, I'm very proud that Bengal has produced some of the greatest personalities of all time.

3. Favourite Indian city

I haven't found mine yet.

4. An Indian language you don't speak but would like to learn?

I really have no idea, I'm pretty fond of Bengali.

5. Favourite Indian classical dance and why?

I love all kinds of dances, especially Indian dance forms, but I have a slight bias towards Bharatnatyam. Probably because I used to practise it myself.

6. Favourite holiday destination in India?

Oof that's a hard one. Me and my parents love to travel and do so whenever we get the chance. I have visited so many places in India (but still a major part is yet to be explored) it's hard to tell.

7. Favourite festival and why?

Durga Puja. It is one of the (probably the) biggest festivals for us bangalis. I also have a lot of good memories (and a few bad as well) associated with it.

8. Favourite traditions (or superstition) and why?

When I was younger, my favourite one was the 'no study day' or anayadhya dibash on Saraswati Puja. Now it's probably the staying up till midnight on special occasions (birthdays, parents' anniversary, etc.) to celebrate with a smol cake and all the love in our hearts, just the three of us.

9. Something that makes you glad you are Desi

Indian history and the fact that I know I'll always have at least two people supporting me no matter what.

10. If you weren't born in Desi countries which country would have been born in?

I have thought about this a little, not gonna lie. Maybe somewhere in Europe, Japan, Thailand and USA. In that order.

11. Have you ever thought of leaving this country?

A lot. More than a lot, if I'm being honest.

12. Favourite Indian singer and song?

Don't come after me with a trishul or tarwal. . . but I don't listen to Indian songs that much. Especially not contemporary ones. My dad listens to Bollywood pops from the later half of the 20th century, and my mother listens to (she's also a very good singer, though not professional) Rabindra Sangeet and sometimes other bengali songs; my knowledge is limited to these.

13. Favourite film from any language?

3 Idiots (I'm pretty sure every desi person has watched that at least once, and if you haven't you're missing out). Hirak Rajar Deshe. It's a bengali film by Satyajit Ray (you've been living under a very old rock if you haven't heard of him). Funny story, there's a song at the beginning of this movie that I loved as a child and I used to drive my parents crazy with how much I made them play it (every. single. day.) Or at least that's what they told me.

14. A core Desi memory?

Nothing specific that i remember. But I think this one fits (mostly):

As I said, I used to dance, so I performed to one song in my para (locality) after the durga puja (it was like a whole programme thing). What still makes me fond is the preparation before the dance, when ma and I were screaming bloody murder and dad was just done with us. Ah, good old days. No, but seriously I liked the practice I did every day for (at least) a fortnight or more before the function. One time, I even choreographed the dance myself.

15. Favourite person from your extended family?

When I was younger, it was my bhai (my mama's son) and my didi (my jethu's (dad's brother) daughter) and my younger cousin (my dad's cousin's daughter). But after becoming so socially awkward, I'm not that close to anyone really (there are other factors included, of course)

Tagging @morally-gayy, @sirf-uski-lilac011019, @vellibandi, @humapkehaikaun, @tiredandcaffeinated, @silverquillsideas, @hissterical-nyaan

Creating Desi asks because I have nothing to do

1. What's your first language? Are you more comfortable in it than english ?

2. Which state are you from and do you like it ?

3. Favourite Indian city ?

4. A Indian language you don't speak but would like to learn?

5. Favourite Indian classical dance? and why?

6. Favourite holiday destination in India?

7. Favourite festival and why?

8. Favourite traditions (or superstition) and why?

9. Something that makes you glad you are Desi?

10. If you weren't born in desi countries which country would have been born in?

11. Have you ever thought of leaving this country?

12. Favourite Indian singer and song?

13. Favourite film from any language?

14. A core desi memory?

15. Favourite person from your extended family?

#desi #koko answers #well sort of

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cinema-tv-etc · 6 years ago

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“Just the facts, ma’am” — “Dragnet” (1951 - 1959) (1967 - 1970)

“Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” Such a cool opening for one of the most memorable “cop” TV shows of all time. Sgt. Joe — My name’s Friday. I’m a cop — Friday (Jack Web) and his detective sidekicks (played by Ben Alexander and Harry Morgan) managed to keep us glued to the television with their subtle tactics in apprehending criminals because all they really needed in their quest was... just the facts. So cool. Dum, de, dum, dum! Check out this very cool short video.

“Stifle it, Edith!” — “All In The Family” (1971 - 1979) Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) had a way with words. He called his liberal son-in-law, “Meathead”and his faithful wife, “Dingbat “ (and he insulted about every stereotype you can name) without getting his hand slapped from the politically correct community. He was so lovable, though, right? Whenever his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) had an opinion, he managed to stifle her — most of the time. Check out the time she stifled him here.

“Who Loves Ya Baby?” — “Kojak” (1973 - 1978)

Kojak (Telly Savalas) was probably the only New York City detective on TV who made the Tootsie Roll Pop sexy. And, didn’t he start the bald head craze? (OK, Yul Brenner in the “King And I” helped get this trend started). Who loves Ya, Baby? We do, we do! (Look here for clip.)

“Good Evening” — Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955 - 1962)

Maybe you had to be there, but no one could grab an audience with an introduction quite like Alfred Hitchcock. His “series of unrelated short stories covering elements of crime, horror, drama and comedy about people of different species committing murders, suicides, thefts and other sorts of crime caused by certain motivations” kept us coming back for more each week. It seems like seven years just wasn’t enough for this film director and his spell-bounding stories. Take a look at his one-of-a-kind introductions here.

“Would you believe... “ — “Get Smart” (1965 - 1970)

“Get Smart” (battling the forces of KAOS) had an embarrassment of riches in the catchphrase department. Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 (Don Adams) kept his co-hort, Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) and the Chief (Edward Platt) on the tips of their toes every time he opened his mouth. “Would you believe” these words of wisdom: “Missed it by that much!,” “Sorry about that, Chief,” and “I asked you not to tell me that.” Yes, we would believe anything you say, Agent 86. Take a peek at these “Get Smart” funniest moments here.

“To the moon, Alice!” — “The Honeymooners/The Jackie Gleason Show” (1951 - 1959) Who could forget the wild and crazy antics of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), sarcastic wife Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows), NYC sewer worker, Ed Norton (Art Carney) and his wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph)? These four feisty Brooklyn residents tested each others patience on a daily basis which was the reason millions of viewers tuned in once a week. Needless to say, Alice Kramden knew how to draw blood which is why Ralph gave her the what for... “One of these days, Alice, you’re going to the moon!” “Just One more thing...” — “Colombo” (1971 - 2003)

Peter Falk made “Colombo” a household name with his unique way of solving the “whodunit” mystery in this clever television detective show. The Fashion Police would have a field day with this disheveled, cigar-smoking detective. (Oh, that rumpled, beige raincoat... how we loved it.) The criminal always thinks he/she has the upper hand in the investigation only to be caught up in the web of Colombo’s increasingly intrusive presence. Just when the suspect thinks all is well, the polite detective (who always gets his man/woman), has “just one more thing“ to ask.

“Goodnight, John Boy” — “The Waltons” (1971 - 1981)

This Great Depression Virginia mountain family sure knew how to grab our hearts. Each episode focuses on the “family of John Walton Jr. (known as John-Boy), his parents, John and Olivia Walton, their seven children, and John’s parents Zebulon “Zeb” and Esther Walton. John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is the eldest of the children (17 years old in the beginning), who becomes a journalist and novelist. In the signature scene that closes almost every episode, the family house is enveloped in darkness, save for one, two or three lights in the upstairs bedroom windows. Through voice-overs, two or more characters make some brief comments related to that episode’s events, and then bid each other goodnight, after which the lights go out.”

“Let’s be careful out there.” — “Hill Street Blues” (1981 - 1987)

“Hill Street Blues“is an American serial police drama that chronicled the lives of the staff of a single police station located on the fictional Hill Street, in an unnamed large city, with ‘blues’ being a slang term for police officers for their blue uniforms.” In the opening, Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) does the police roll call, concluding with his signature line: “Let’s be careful out there.”

“May God bless.” — “The Red Skelton Show” (1951 - 1971)

“The Red Skelton Show” was mainly known for the comedy sketches performed by Red himself which included an array of comedic characters (Clem Kadiddlehopper, San Fernando Red, George Appleby and Freddie the Freeloader). He also had guest star performers including John Wayne, Phyllis Diller, Jack Benny... the list goes on forever. His opening monologue often included his two favorite seagulls, Gertrude and Heathcliff. At the end of each show, he ended it with thoughts that went something like this.

“Lucy! You got some ‘splainin’ to do!” — “I Love Lucy” (1951 - 1957) That crazy redhead we affectionately know as Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) was never at a loss for words... or hair brained, good-natured mischief. Her cohort, Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) was somewhat skeptical at times to play along, but the two BFFs made life interesting for their respective spouses, Ricky (Desi Arnaz) and Fred (William Frawley) to say the least. When Lucy tested Ricky’s patience one too many times, he screamed the only phrase that came to mind (each time): “Lucy, You got some ‘splainin’ to do!” Don’t we all use that phrase ocassionally when we get pissed at our significant others (no matter what gender they are)?

“Yada, Yada, Yada” — “Seinfeld” (1989 - 1998)

Let’s give a big round of applause to Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George Costanza (Jason Alexander) and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) for giving us the best nine sitcom seasons of our lives. Did you know it was actually George’s new girlfriend, Marcy, who came up with the “yada, yada, yada” expression? If you don’t do anything else today, watch this Seinfeld montage.

“Come On Down!” — “The Price Is Right“ (1956 - 1965) (1972 - Present)

I don’t care how old you are, you have heard — at one time in your life — a game show announcer say, “Come on down!” You know the game show: “The Price Is Right.” And you know the master of all game shows: Bob Barker. The point is, no matter what year you were born, somewhere, on some network, “The Price Is Right” has been on your radar. Unless you live in a third world country. Check out this “Come on down!” video with Bob Barker.

“Sock it to me.” — “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In” (1967 - 1973) The comedy team of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin hosted this psychedelic, fast-moving comedy series that featured series regulars Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi, Judy Carne, Goldie Hawn, Arte Johnson, Jo Ann Worley, Gary Owens, Alan Sues and Henry Gibson. Judy Carne became the butt of the joke when she said, “Sock it to me.” They doused her with water or gently assaulted her with rubber objects. Be careful what you say out there.

“Dy-no-mite!” — “Good Times” (1974 - 1979) “Good Times“ lets us in on the lives of Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos) and their three children, J.J. (Jimmie Walker), Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and Michael (Ralph Carter). “Episodes of Good Times deal with the characters’ attempts to survive in a high rise project building in Chicago, despite their poverty” ... and hilarity ensues. Fess up, you know you said the word “Dy-n-Mite!” every time something good happened in your life back in the day, thanks to the adorable J.J. (Although nobody says it better!)

“God will get you for that!” — “Maude” (1972 - 1978)

Who remembers that “Maude“ was a spin-off from “All In The Family?” Yes, Maude (Bea Arthur) was Edith’s cousin — who somehow got the spunk gene in the family. And who remembers that Maude was a “liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, NY with her fourth husband, Walter (Bill Macy)?” And if you didn’t know all that... (say it).

“De Plane, De Plane” — “Fantasy Island” (1977 - 1984)

Picture it: a remote tropical island resort where all your dreams come true. Well, not exactly. There were glitches in those wishes. Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban ), assisted by his adorable miniature side-kick Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize) had the best of intentions of making his guests live out their fantasies, but what kind of show would that be if everything were perfect? You could count on one thing. The beginning of each episode, a plane arrived with their (we’re presuming rich) guests. Tattoo always alerted Mr. Roarke, by pointing up to the sky, announcing: “De Plane, de plane!” Welcome to Fantasy Island.

“What U Talkin’ ‘bout Willis?” — “Different Strokes” (1978 - 1986)

“Different Strokes” starred Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges (Arnold and Willis Jackson), Conrad Bain (Phillip Drummond) and Dana Plato (Kimberly Drummond) who were perhaps one of the first racially mixed families on television. Arnold didn’t hold back when Willis came up with some bizarre and/or surprise monologue that got his goat. “What u talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” Too cute!

“Book ‘em, Danno.” — “Hawaii Five-0” (1968 - 1980)

This may be my all-time favorite detective show based in Hawaii (sorry “Magnum P.I.”). And it may well just be because of one of my all-time favorite detective catchphrases: “Book ‘em Danno.” Detective Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) worked so well with Danny Williams (James MacArthur) in each episode to put the bad guys in hand cuffs. (And who didn’t love that theme song!? Check it out here and turn the volume up and enjoy!)

“Say the secret word and win a hundred dollars.” — “You Bet Your Life” (TV version, 1950 - 1961)

Groucho Marx was probably the first choice to host this quiz show that featured a show chocked full of competitive questions — and some hilarious conversation. As it turns out, the comedian was the perfect host. As in all quiz shows, there is money to be won. But, with the right “word,” a contestant could win an extra hundred big ones. All they had to do was say the secret word. Easy Not so fast. How many words are in the English language? But we loved to hear Groucho announce: “Say the secret word and win a hundred dollars.” Sometimes they did. And that was seriously exciting.

“Say goodnight, Gracie” — “The George Burns And Gracie Allen Show“ (1950 - 1958)

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/catchphrases-classic-tv-shows_b_8142724.html

#tv catchphrases #classic television #alfred hitchcock #the honeymooners #i love lucy

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royprichard · 6 years ago

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Pittsburgh, PA - October 25, 2018-November 1, 2018

Thursday, October 25, 2018 - travel day. Rhonda has already been in the Pittsburgh area since she is training a person on SAP for her company. She flew up there on Sunday and was the reason we were making this trip in the first place.

Terry and Mama were driving from Jewett to Dallas and were to meet me and Rhonda at the Pittsburgh airport. I was leaving from Houston and was crossing my fingers that week didn’t have any travel issues.

As I waited in the terminal, I began to text to Terry my status. Things like, “I’m at the airport”, “Let me know when you begin boarding”, “Are you at the airport?” Because Terry is pretty good at texting back, I began to worry that something had happened when I got “radio silence”. After a period of time I finally got a message saying “We’re boarding the plane. I’ll tell you what happened when I see you.”

My flight was fine and I arrived in Pittsburgh to see my mom, Terry, and Rhonda sitting at Starbucks laughing their fool heads off and being silly. Between the three of them, I finally learned that during the TSA pat down two step, somewhere in the airport, Mama had lost her boarding pass. She swears TSA must have stolen it from her. Terry blames Mama’s new traveling companion she has non-affectionately named “Winston”. Winston is Mama’s small carry-on luggage which Terry denies Mama needs for the trip. It’s just another piece of luggage Terry has to worry about.

We gather together in our rental car and go to the hotel. They gave us rooms on the thirteenth floor. I didn’t know hotels would use a 13th floor. Isn’t that unlucky or something? We got on the elevator with a man and he asked “What floor?” We answered “13th”. He looked at us funny, turned to the floor buttons, turned back and said “This elevator doesn’t go that high”. Of course, we were in the wrong elevator. As we were leaving the correct elevator for dinner, a guy seeing me and three women said to me “You sure are lucky!” Boy did I laugh. Actually Mama said, “I don’t think he believes that!”

October 26, 2018 - Friday morning we ate breakfast at Denny’s and found out the pumpkin spice can and will be put on every item on the menu. I ordered us some pumpkin spice hush puppies and they were good. We drove around Pittsburgh’s downtown area, looking at Heinz Field, Three River Stadium, and the bustling downtown folks as they walked the streets.

Our plan was to travel to New Wilmington where we had signed up for the “Simple Life Tour”. There is a huge Amish community in New Wilmington but they are a very private group. The woman who gave us the private tour is not Amish but has run a restaurant for 30 years in New Wilmington. After meeting several Amish and becoming friends with them, she noticed one of the most frequent questions she received at her restaurant was “how can we see Amish people”. She asked her Amish friends if she could bring people to the area and meet them. Now she has a growing business.

We sat in a Honda Pilot and Susan, our guide, gave us insightful information about the Old World Amish community in New Wilmington. We drove through their community and she told us why they think the way they do. We stopped at 3 Amish houses where they use their first floor as a grocery store, or a bakery, or a quilting store. Although it sounds like just a way to get tourist to spend money on Amish things, it was very interesting. They all have white houses with blue doors. The houses are huge with three floors, the second floor is their meeting place, large enough for a hundred Amish to meet as a church which they do every other Sunday. The third floor is the living quarters. We were not able to go up to see the second or third floors.

After we drive back to PIttsburgh, we decide to go to the casino in Pittsburgh. Rhonda sticks close to Mama and we go throw some money in the slots. I think everyone ended up with winning except Rhonda that evening.

October 27, 2018 - On Saturday, we woke up to a messy driving day. It rained, not hard, but I had to drive with the windshield wipers on all day. We drove east out of Pittsburgh to New Haven to visit Marion. She is the wife of a man who was in the service with Daddy. They have kept up with Mama and Daddy over the years, even though they live far apart. We met Marion for lunch and had a nice visit. She showed us her apartment and her grandkids.

We drove through the Allegany Forest to arrive at our hotel in Olean, NY. The road took us through the forest and mountains. We went past the observatory where it is claimed to be the darkest sky in the US so you can see many stars. We seemed to be the only people on this road. Not many fellow travelers.

October 28, 2018 - The next day, Sunday, we traveled to Jamestown, NY to see the Lucy and Desi Museum. Since we grew up watching “I Love Lucy” it was a must. We had a good time highlighted by filming my mom doing the Vitameatavegimen commercial with bottle and spoon and fake backdrop that the museum had set up for those who wanted to give it a try. Terry and Rhonda both filmed it, so we’ll need to share that on social media when we get back home.

We were driving to Niagara Falls, Canada and when we got to the border crossing, the border guard asked for our passports. As he scanned on passports, he asked why we were coming to Canada and where we were going. Of course, I had lots of help in the car to tell me. After I said Niagara Falls, then I told him we were going to go to Barrie, Ontario. He asked, “Why Barrie?” I said I just picked it off the map. No special reason. He laughed and said, “No one just goes to Barrie. We don’t even go to Barrie!” He gave us our passports and smiled. “Have a nice trip!”

Niagara Falls was next. After checking in to our rooms, we decided to eat at Outback. This was our first challenge with Canadian money. Food was expensive. After the meal, we took Terry and Rhonda to the Ferris wheel and let them ride. Afterward, Mama and I were dropped off at the casino. Terry and Rhonda were going to take the car back to the hotel and we would call them to pick us up later.=

After we exchanged our US money for Canadian, we began throwing it away to Canada in the slot machines. After a while we decided to leave and I pick up my phone to give Terry a call to pick us up. There are about four texts and several voice mail messages. I had the car fob in my pocket for the rental car and they were unable to start the car without it. Apparently they noticed it after Mama and I had gone into the casino. Terry got out of the car while Rhonda drove around. Terry was trying to find us, then she said she almost got lost in the casino and couldn’t find the front door. We had gone into the bathrooms so that is why she couldn’t find us. She finally gave up and her and Rhonda went to the hotel and texted me and messaged me frantically. I didn’t see a reason to call them since they couldn’t come get us. I told Mama to take a seat at the front of the casino and I would walk the two or three blocks to the hotel, get the car and take her to the hotel. As I got outside, I noticed it was raining cats and dogs. Plan B. We hired a taxi, road two blocks, and paid 8 Canadian dollars for the ride. Those new-fangled cars without regular keys will mess you up every time.

October 29, 2018 - Monday was the day we planned on taking in Niagara Falls. We paid for a tour which included “Behind the Falls” tour. It involved walking through man-made tunnels to get to viewing areas where part of the falls cascades over the rocks in front of you. You can feel the power of the water as it thunders down. After going to the obligatory gift shop afterward, we got back on the bus to travel down to view the whirlpools. Another photo op and then a stop at a rest stop with, yes, another gift shop. Then we got on the bus and went to the falls, again. We donned our red plastic ponchos and queued up to get on “The Hornblower”, our boat that would take us into the falls, or at least as close as we could get. Rhonda and I went up top and spent the entire freezing ride outside being showered and blown by the mighty Niagara. Terry was on the level below us and Mama set up shop inside, getting a laugh at watching everyone outside taking pictures of themselves and the falls until we got close enough to douse everyone with cold, wet water and wind. She said they began to stream indoors, out of the freezing wetness. I really enjoyed the falls, but summed it up when Rhonda and I were laughing at getting pelted with cold, wet water from the falls. I turned to her and shouted over the pounding of the water, “Just think, we actually paid $100 for this!”

After drying off and getting packed again, we drove to Barrie. Yeah, why would anyone pick Barrie? After checking in we ate at the Swiss Chalet. Our waitress brought us our food with four bowls of some sort of liquid content. I asked what it was and she said it was their special sauce which they eat on everything. It looked like loose brown gravy and had a cinnamon flavor. I’m not a big fan! The waitress asked if we had ever tasted it before and we shared that we were from Texas. She asked what in the world were we traveling to Barrie for? Barrie apparently needs another Public Relations firm to work on their image.

October 30, 2018 - We woke the next morning to a hard freeze in Barrie. After I got the ice off of the windshield, we began traveling south back into the US. We drove back on lesser traveled roads through farmland and rural communities. It was raining again but the not too hard. We entered the US without any trouble after we threatened Mama not to say anything from the back seat when the border patrol officer asked us questions about re-entering the US. She really wanted to talk to the officers, for some reason. I think she wanted to flirt for awhile.

We drove through Detroit commenting on the poor road conditions and quite a few dilapidated older buildings. It was a long day of driving, so when we got to Dundee, Michigan all we did was find our hotel, go across the road to Bob Evans for dinner. Terry said she LOVES the place. We kept seeing Bobs Evans Restaurants throughout the north and we finally stopped to eat there. I have yet to convince everyone to stop at Tom Horton’s. Not sure what they serve, but they are EVERYWHERE!

October 31, 2018 - Wednesday is here and it is October 31, Halloween! We are driving back to Pittsburgh where we will fly back to Texas. We travel through Cleveland, Ohio and make a stop at the Rock and Roll Museum. We spent 2 hours on the first floor of the museum, reading and listening to our musical history. It is a fun, entertaining place to go. I had placed enough coins in the parking meter for two hours and when I told them I was going to go put more in, they told me they were ready to go. It was fun and I would recommend the stop for lovers of music.

We drove into Pittsburgh at the 5 o’clock quitting time and it was still raining enough that I couldn’t turn my wipers off. I was determined to ride the Duquesne Incline and our GPS took us directly through downtown. The traffic was horrible. Especially where four lanes of traffic merged on one of the bridges and EVERYONE needed to be in the exact opposite lane they were in. It was a fruit basket turnover. We finally made it through and went to Duquesne incline. Because there were several flights of stairs, Mama stayed in the car while we travelled up and took photos. Before we left the parking lot, Terry tried to get into the wrong car. As we were laughing about that in the restaurant over lunch, Mama told us that she had gone into the wrong bathroom, earlier. More laughs!

We all made it back home and will hope to go somewhere together in the future.

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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Amazon Moves From Film Industry’s Margins to the Mainstream Sacha Baron Cohen may have been going a little mad. It was August 2020, the pandemic was raging and his secret production had shut down. He was determined to reprise his role as Borat in a feature film designed to satirize the Trump administration ahead of the November election. But how? First he persuaded Universal Studios to allow him to shop his incomplete movie. Then he cobbled together an hour of footage. (The infamous scene with Rudolph W. Giuliani had yet to be filmed.) Hulu was interested. So was Netflix. But Amazon Studios was the one most committed to getting the movie out in time, no matter the cost. Amazon spent $80 million to acquire “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” a decision that incurred extra expenses because of Covid protocols, test screenings in New Zealand — one of the few places in the world at the time where the company could gather a group of people in a dark movie theater — and a last-minute dash to incorporate all the gonzo footage before the film’s release on Oct. 23. (Mr. Cohen was cutting it close, still shooting three weeks before he had to deliver the movie.) “They broke every rule for us,” Mr. Cohen said in a phone interview. “There was a certain delivery schedule that they felt was necessary, and they halved that time. They realized the imperative of getting this out before the election. And they changed their procedures completely to help us do this. I’m really, really grateful.” Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, is also grateful. When the Golden Globes air on Sunday, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” will be competing for three awards: best comedy or musical, best actor and best supporting actress (Maria Bakalova). Other Amazon acquisitions, including Regina King’s directorial debut, “One Night in Miami,” and “Sound of Metal,” starring Riz Ahmed, are also contending for prizes. Those accolades, coupled with the cultural impact “Borat” has enjoyed across the globe, have significantly altered the perception of Amazon Studios’s film division in Hollywood and among Amazon’s more than 150 million Prime subscribers. (The studio, which does not disclose viewer numbers, will say only that tens of millions of subscribers watched “Borat.”) Once a home for indie darlings such as “Manchester by the Sea” and “The Big Sick,” Amazon Prime Video is transforming itself into a place for commercial films with broad appeal that can travel internationally. It’s all part of Ms. Salke’s plan to turn Prime into a service people subscribe to for more than free shipping for their paper towels. “We had seen firsthand when Amazon gets behind a piece of content, just how big the muscle is that they are capable of flexing,” said David Ellison, chief executive of Skydance Media and the producer of Amazon’s “Jack Ryan” series. He recently sold the films “Without Remorse” and “The Tomorrow War” to Amazon. “With ‘Borat,’ they showed they could do that with films, too,” he said. Amazon has thrived in the last year, with profits increasing some 200 percent since the pandemic began. That success has extended to its film business. Like other streaming services, it has been able to snatch up big-budget, star-driven films that studios have been forced to shelve in response to the closing of movie theaters. Netflix, Apple, Disney+ and Hulu have all benefited from the studios’ woes, but Amazon has been one of the most aggressive in acquiring new movies. In September, Ms. Salke acquired “Without Remorse” — starring Michael B. Jordan and based on a Tom Clancy series — for $105 million. It will debut at the end of April. The following month, it paid $125 million for the rights to “Coming 2 America,” which will premiere on March 5. Eddie Murphy was initially hesitant about taking the sequel to his much-beloved film to Amazon, but Ms. Salke and others say he was reassured by the performance of “Borat.” In January, the company made its biggest bet yet, paying $200 million to acquire the Chris Pratt-led action film “The Tomorrow War,” which Paramount was set to release. To date, it stands as Amazon’s largest financial commitment in acquiring a feature film. The company hopes to debut it on Prime Video this summer. “We don’t have a huge bench of big blockbuster movies in the works,” Ms. Salke said with a laugh. “So for us it was opportunistic to be able to lean into that.” With more players than ever joining the streaming fray (Paramount+, anyone?), the pace at which new content is delivered is an issue every service worries about. Netflix threw down the gauntlet in January when it announced its 2021 strategy of delivering one new movie per week, which followed WarnerMedia’s announcement that all of Warner Bros.’s 2021 theatrical films would debut in theaters and on its HBO Max streaming service at the same time. With so much volume being offered by those two companies, along with Disney’s recent announcement that at least 80 percent of its 100 new projects would be earmarked for Disney+, the only way to compete is to go big. “It’s going to be really interesting over the next three years,” said Roeg Sutherland, one of the heads of media finance for Creative Artists Agency. “With platforms programming one new movie a week, this is fueling a competitive marketplace for high-end, independently financed films.” At the Sundance Film Festival last month, Apple paid a record $25 million for rights to the independent film “Coda.” Ms. Salke pushes back on the idea that her plans to broaden her offerings is a reaction to her competitors. Rather, she said, it’s the culmination of a strategy that began at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, when as a newcomer to the film world, she spent $46 million to acquire four films, including “Late Night” with Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling, and the feel-good movie “Brittany Runs a Marathon.” Before joining Amazon, Ms. Salke spent her career in television, shepherding hits like “Modern Family” and “Glee” at Fox and “This Is Us” at NBCUniversal. After her Sundance shopping spree, she was mocked by some film insiders as an out-of-touch television executive overspending to acquire niche movies. She was criticized for paying $13 million for “Late Night,” when it grossed $15.4 million at the box office. “Brittany Runs a Marathon” earned just $7 million. That commentary still seems to sting Ms. Salke, though she argues that she released the films theatrically only to appease the filmmakers. The movies’ real metric of success, she said, was how they played on the streaming service. “Those movies all kept coming out as No. 1,” said Ms. Salke, referencing the films’ performances on Amazon Prime. “Every time we launched one, the next one would eclipse the next one. We were training our audience to know that we would have big original films that were more commercial on Prime Video. It’s a little bit of an ‘If you build it, they will come’ strategy.” But what happens to that plan once the pandemic is over and studios are no longer willing to sell their movies to streaming platforms? Amazon has some 34 films in various stages of production around the world and Ms. Salke said the company was committed to spending upward of $100 million on a production if merited. (Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, is stepping down as the company’s chief executive later this year, but the studio isn’t expecting any big changes when Andy Jassy takes the reins.) The Culver City, Calif., complex is still being built and, if anything, investment has increased. Ms. Salke points to Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming film about Lucy and Desi Arnaz, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, as a potential hit. There’s also George Clooney’s film “The Tender Bar,” starring Ben Affleck, and an LGBTQ romantic drama called “My Policeman,” featuring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin (“The Crown”). “The new news is that you will see us embrace some bigger projects going forward that are self-generated,” she said. In Ms. Salke’s mind, this was always the place where Amazon Film was going to land. And there is a newfound confidence to her outlook as she celebrates her third anniversary as the head of the studio. In addition to her recent acquisition spree, she’s made overall content deals with Mr. Jordan and the actor and musician Donald Glover, which she says will reinforce her mission to burnish Amazon’s reputation as a talent-friendly place. With its healthy subscription base, Amazon is attracting those in Hollywood who are interested in the company’s global reach but also curious about the company’s other businesses that have the potential to expand a star’s brand beyond film and television. Mr. Jordan, for one, said his overall content deal would allow him to explore areas other studios can’t offer: specifically fashion, music and podcasts. His portrayal of the physical incarnation of Amazon’s Alexa during a Super Bowl ad was an example. And Ms. King got a kick out of just how pervasive Amazon’s marketing of her film was whenever she logged into the company’s e-commerce site. “When I’m on Amazon, buying doggie bags, and my film pops up at the top, that’s pretty amazing,” she said. “That’s like, wow! Every single day I am getting a text from someone who saw the movie that probably wouldn’t have seen it if it didn’t pop up in their shopping queue.” Source link Orbem News #Amazon #Film #Industrys #mainstream #Margins #Moves

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junker-town · 7 years ago

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Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado wants to be more than college basketball’s best rebounder

The senior is a double-double machine for a top-25 Pirates team.

During his recruitment process in 2014, Angel Delgado was surveying offers from Fordham, Florida State, Virginia and Seton Hall. One other school loomed, though, without presenting a potential scholarship to the Dominican Republic native — Kentucky.

Connections between Delgado and the college hoops’ powerhouse were evident. Ex-Wildcats’ assistant Orlando Antigua, who coached the D.R. national team at the time, took over for Kentucky coach John Calipari. On top of that, current NBA star Karl Anthony Towns played for the Dominican team and committed to the program as well.

Nevertheless, the then-four star recruit recalled how Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard pushed the importance of staying in school for three to four years in order to improve, challenging Calipari's one-and-done mantra.

“He said he could make me one of the best players in the country, and that's what I think he did,” Delgado said.

Four years later, Delgado is the star of a Seton Hall team that will begin the year ranked in the preseason polls. He’s also in position to contend for the Naismith Player of the Year Award.

Delgado could’ve departed for the pros instead. He posted 15.2 points and a Division I-best 13.2 rebounds per game in his junior season, and Willard and the rest of the staff subsequently backed his decision to enter the NBA draft in late April. Yet, Willard said the prospect didn’t receive as much interest as another member of Seton Hall’s 2014 recruiting class — star guard Isaiah Whitehead, who left the for the next level after two seasons in college.

“What the NBA really wants to see is the consistency,” Willard said. “He had such a monster year last year. If he does it again, they understand what they're getting and what his value is.”

On May 22, he announced his return to the program, teaming up with fellow seniors Khadeen Carrington, who he played with in AAU, Desi Rodriguez and Ismael Sanogo once again.

In the 2016-17 campaign, Delgado boasted a 62.2 percent clip around the rim, attempting 62 percent of his shots from that vicinity. His two-point jumper wasn’t quite as effective, though, owning a 41.1 percent clip in that department.

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound presence said he made commitment to developing his shot over the summer with Willard, as him and the Pirates’ coaching staff recognized the value of increasing his versatility for both his college and pro career.

“I think (former San Antonio Spurs’ forward) Tim Duncan was so effective for so many years cause he scored facing guys up as opposed to just over-powering guys,” assistant coach Grant Billsmeier said. “There's gonna be certain times he's gotta use his strength, and he's got pretty good quickness for a big guy. We want him to understand the different moves he can go to when he faces up."

Although Delgado said scoring with his back to the basket is still his comfort zone, he now possesses enough confidence to even step behind the arc for a jumper. He has attempted just three triples in his tenure at Seton Hall thus far.

Beyond his offense, he’s a mammoth on the glass. A season ago, he collected a double-double in 27 of his last 33 contests, and 10 of those performances included at least 15 rebounds. Only Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan finished with more double-doubles.

Surprisingly, Delgado wasn’t always adept in that area. He was 6-foot as a 15-year-old in the D.R., and he said he didn’t enjoy the physicality of going for a rebound. But he ended up growing six inches before his sophomore season at Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, N.Y. Once he began playing for the New York Lightning, an AAU team, rebounding became his nitch.

“I had a lot of guards on my team, so I had to get a lot of rebounds for them,” Delgado said. “My goal is to now get 20 rebounds every game.”

His technique stems from numerous hours in the film room, seeing how players shoot and where their shots normally land. Therefore, he believes he doesn’t have to outmuscle the opposition for a rebound. Instead, Delgado cited his instinct for knowing where the ball will go off a missed shot.

For Willard, that type of work ethic, comparable to former NBA forwards Charles Oakley and Horace Grant, attracted him to Delgado as a recruit, he said.

“He has a great motor and a great passion to pursue the ball,” Willard said. “He's not just getting 18 rebounds one time. He's getting that nine, 10 times in a year. Anybody that's going on that there and doing that, he's the most valuable guy in college basketball."

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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years ago

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HUMILIATED & UNHAPPY

July 16, 1960

TV Guide ~ July 16-22, 1960 (Vol.8, No.29 & Issue #381) Cover photo by Sherm Weisberg, Fashions by Sacks Fifth Avenue

This was Lucille Ball’s tenth (of 39) TV Guide covers.

“A VISIT WITH LUCILLE BALL” by Dan Jenkins

On January 19, 1953, Desi Arnaz rushed exultantly into the Hollywood Brown Derby, grinning that wide, idiotic grin common to new fathers for the past several eons. Striding down a side isle, he threw his arms excitedly in the air and shouted, "Now we got everythin'!" By "everythin'," Arnaz was encompassing quite a bit of territory - an eight-pound son born that morning, the birth of the Ricardo son on ‘I Love Lucy’ that same night and a gold-plated peak of popularity for a television series which, in all probability, will never again be approached. On May 4, 1960, just seven years later, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, quite possibly the most widely known couple in show-business history, were divorced. She had sued for divorce once before (she didn't complete the proceedings), but that was back in 1944 when Desi was a corporal in the Army, Lucy was a star at MGM and World War II was getting all the headlines. By 1960, the Lucy-Desi combine had made so many headlines that no one even bothered to look at the press-clipping scrapbooks any more, or the countless awards that had rolled in on them from all over the country. On an overcast spring afternoon, just 10 days after the divorce, Lucille Ball was sitting in her small but tastefully decorated dressing room on the Desilu lot. That morning, during a short drive over to the neighboring Paramount lot to confer with the producers of her upcoming picture with Bob Hope, she had stuck her head out the window of her chauffeur-driven car and shouted to a friend, "Hi! Remember me? I used to work at Desilu." The remark was not only typical of Lucy Ball but an unwitting reflection of her character and a classic off-the-cuff example of the laugh-clown-laugh tradition. Like most true clowns, Lucy is not a jovial, outgoing person. Her devastating sense of humor, often with a cutting edge, is reserved for her friends. In her dealings with the press she is precise, truthful - and sparing with words. A newsman asked her recently if she had plans to marry again. Lucy stared at him for a few seconds and said simply, "No." (1) The newsman felt that Lucy had missed her calling and should be rushed into the negotiations with Khrushchev forthwith. Relaxing (which is to say, at least sitting down for a few minutes) with an old friend in her dressing room that spring afternoon, Lucy alternated between abrupt sentences and spilled-over paragraphs. On the subject of her immediate plans, she talked almost as though by rote. "I start rehearsals this week for a picture with Bob Hope. It's called 'The Facts of Life.' [She did not wince at the title.] I liked it the minute I read the script and said I'd do it if Bob would. It's written and produced by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank. We have a 10-week shooting schedule. "Then I go to New York with the two children, my mother and two maids. We have a seven-room apartment on 69th Street at Lexington. I'll start rehearsals right away for a Broadway show, 'Wildcat.' It's a comedy with music, not a musical comedy, but the music is important. I play a girl wildcatter in the Southwestern oil fields around the turn of the century. It was written by N. Richard Nash, who wrote 'The Rainmaker.' He is co-producer with Michael Kidd, the director. We're still looking for a leading man. I want an unknown. He has to be big, husky, around 40. He has to be able to throw me around, and I'm a pretty big girl. He has to be able to sing, at least a little. (2) I have to sing, too. It's pretty bad. When I practice, I hold my hands over my ears. We open out of town - I don't know where - and come to New York in December. [Ed. Note: ‘Wildcat’ is now scheduled to make its debut in Philadelphia in November.] (3) "I'm terrified. I've never been on the stage before, except in 'Dream Girl' years ago. But we always filmed ‘I Love Lucy’ before a live audience. I knew a long time ago that I was eventually going to go to Broadway and that's one reason why we shot Lucy that way. But I'm still terrified. The contract for the play runs 18 months. Maybe it will last that long. Maybe longer. And maybe it will last three days." (4) The phone rang. A man's voice, the resonant kind which a telephone seems to make louder, wanted to know if Lucy would like to go out that night. Lucy's expression indicated that the whole idea was a bore but the man prattled on. He apparently had a commitment to attend a young night-club singer's act. "I've seen him twice already," Lucy said into the phone, "and his press agent is now saying I've been there eight times. If I go again the kid will be saying I'm in love with him. He's 2-feet-6 and nine years old. I don't want any part of it." The voice on the phone turned to a tone of urgent pleading. Lucy held the phone away from her at arms length and looked to the ceiling for advice and guidance. She finally hung up. "I go out because people ask me to," she said. "I have no love for night clubs, unless there's an act I especially want to see. And I don't especially want to see this kid's again." She lit another cigarette. "Nervous habit," she said. "I don't inhale, never did. Just nerves.” "I get tired too easily. The reaction is beginning to set in. I've had pneumonia twice in a year. That's not good." There was a long silence. Even for old friends, Lucy is not an easy person to talk to. "I filed for the divorce the day after I finished my last piece of film under the Westinghouse contract," she said suddenly. "I should have done it long ago." Would there ever be any more Lucy-Desi specials like those Westinghouse had sponsored? (5) She stared. "No," she said abruptly. She paused. "Even if everything were alright, we'd never work together again. We had six years of a pretty successful series and two years of specials. Why try to top it? That would be foolish. We always knew that when the time came to quit, we'd quit. We were lucky. We quit while we were still ahead." Was she happy?

Another stare. "Am I happy? No. Not yet. I will be. I've been humiliated. That's not easy for a woman." She started to talk about the recent years with Desi. She talked in a quiet, factual monotone, a voice that had been all through bitterness and was now beyond it. She talked with an implicit faith that what she was saying was off the record. It was. Some day, it was suggested to her, somebody was going to write the story. She stared. "Who would want to?" (6) She looked over at the framed picture of Desi that stood on a small table. "Look at him," she said. "That's the way he looked 10 years ago. He doesn't look like that now. He'll never look like that again." The door was opened and a spring breeze began drawing some of the heavy cigarette smoke out of the room. Lucy smiled a little and turned to her desk. "Try to write," she said finally, "more than I said but not as much as I said."

FOOTNOTES

(1) Lucille Ball did indeed marry again - to Gary Morton (born Morton Goldaper) on November 21, 1961. They remained married until her death.

(2) Gordon MacRae, Jock Mahoney, and Gene Barry were considered before Lucille selected Keith Andes to play the role of Joe Dynamite. He was indeed 40 years old at the time of casting. He committed suicide in 2005.

(3) 'Wildcat’s’ Philadelphia tryout opened on October 29, 1960. The Broadway opening had to be postponed when trucks hauling the sets and costumes to New York were stranded on the New Jersey Turnpike by a major blizzard. After two previews, the show opened on December 16th at Broadway’s Alvin (now Neil Simon) Theatre.

(4) ‘Wildcat’ ran for 171 regular performances. The show was on hiatus from February 5, 1961 through February 9, 1961 during Lucille Ball's illness. The production was to take a 9-week hiatus after June 3rd, 1961 and re-open August 7, 1961, to complete Ball’s contract, but the show closed and did not return due to Ball’s physical exhaustion.

(5) Jenkins is referring to the 13 “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours” which were part of the “Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse” which continued the adventures of the Ricardos and the Mertzes, including guest stars, musical numbers, and travel-themed episodes.

(6) Lucy and Desi’s tempestuous marriage has been the subject of several books, two television movies, an award-winning documentary, and at least one stage musical!

TV Guide columnist Dan Jenkins had his name used by “I Love Lucy” in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) in 1952 for the used furniture salesman played by Hans Conried. His name was also mentioned in “Lucy and Ethel Buy The Same Dress” (S3;E3) as a possible emcee for their television show. His qualifications? He plays tissue paper and comb!

In 1953, when Lucille Ball was accused of being a Communist, the real Dan Jenkins stood up at a press conference and said “Well, I think we all owe Lucy a vote of thanks, and I think a lot of us owe her an apology.” Lucy and Desi walked over to where Jenkins was standing and gave him a huge hug. Jenkins later said, “From that time on, we were very good friends.” His last interview with Lucy was in 1986 during “Life with Lucy.”