Paul Newman - A man and a legacy....

While I never personally knew Paul Newman, I do believe his presence will be missed on this earth. As an actor, father, humanitarian and overall good man, Newman was able to affect people all over the world and all while being humble about what he did. Paul Newman passed away at his home in Westport, CT this past weekend, alongside family and friends. While most praised Newman for being the polar opposite of most of his colleagues in Hollywood, he felt it was overindulgent and unnecessary. Unlike a lot of public figures who do charitable work nowadays, Newman just did it. A class apart from others, Paul was a person who was able to promote his personal interests and delve into other areas outside of his career which is probably what kept him sane and successful.

The man, who was unmistakably one of our country's greatest actors, will be fondly remembered by many for working within the system and celebrating his private triumphs privately. Married to his second wife for over 40 years, celebrated actress Joanne Woodward, Newman truly embodied a man that only most of us can dream about. With his convictions, he represented the Democratic party in the public eye since the 1960's and believed being President Richard Nixon's enemy list was "the greatest compliment he could receive". Newman was loyal to a fault to those around him and his convictions. And while it took almost thirty years into his career to be awarded with an Oscar, Newman was revered within the industry for decades. Newman was able to be a man's man and a lady's man, all while remaining true to himself and his family. He was a liberal who understood that the issues were beyond the standard politics. He was an actor who found the humor in his career and did not wallow in the self indulgence most do. He was the embodiment of "Just do it". He was a lucky man who found his true love the second go around and was able to create a life, including family, happiness and content with her until the end. Through the many links below, you can read further details into the strength of Mr. Paul Newman. While his death was not a tragic one, he will be greatly missed. But it is refreshing to say goodbye to someone who lived such a full and rewarding life.

















Tributes:

*Jezebel looks into the appeal of Paul

*CNN's look at Paul Newman

*Travers from Rolling Stone discusses the Newman legacy

*The Rare Happy Ever After in Hollywood - Newman and Woodward

*Newman's Greatest Roles

*Newman Chronicles from Vanity Fair

*A celebration of all that is Newman

*Roger Ebert's Tribute to Paul Newman
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Picture It: Estelle Getty passes away at age 84 - R.I.P.

Picture it: Some very sad news today folks. Estelle Getty, best known for her role as the adorably sarcastic Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls, has passed away at age 84, just a few days shy of her 85th birthday. The actress had been battling dementia for several years and has remained out of the public eye during her battle. Her son, Carl Gettleman, informed news outlets that his mother passed away at her Hollywood Boulevard home early this morning, surrounded by family and loved ones.

I could literally go on and on forever about how much I LOVE the Golden Girls and what a truly revolutionary program the show was. Getty was the last member of the foursome to be cast and it was her ability to convince those around her that she could play a woman 20 years older then her true age that secured her the part. Let’s just say that if Sophia was cast any differently, who knows what would have been. She was cast among some of the strongest names in television Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan. Getty struggled for years within the Hollywood system to achieve success in smaller roles until she secured the part of the feisty mother to “Old Maid” Dorothy Zbornak. She also starred in Mannequin, Stop or My Mom Will Shoot and Mask. She will be greatly missed by the public and her fellow Golden Girls.

Here is a clip of one of Sophia’s timeless “Picture It” stories…..






Source:
Entertainment Weekly
Associated Press

George Carlin - Simply put RIP.....

As you all may know, George Carlin, genius comedian and social commenter, passed away this weekend at 71 from heart failure. To say that Carlin was an original, pioneer and bright shining light in a world of sheeps, would be an understatement. The man who became famous for his ”Seven Dirty Words” act act will be remembered for his tenacity to holler at those who were not smart enough to find truth for themselves. His rants on free speech, feminism, anti-religion sentiments and the government were not only witty, but were intelligently researched and performed, making him a hero to many. Carlin was also the kind of comedian and pop culture icon that could give a crap about his image and would never worry about being the butt of the joke. A job was a job and a joke was a joke to George. He would not want us going on and on about how sad it is to lose him, but he would prefer for us to laugh it off and grill some freaky Catholic. Without Carlin and his routines, Bill Maher, Dennis Miller and Lewis Black, among others, would not have been able to so easily move into the arena of political comedians. And without him, Bill and Ted would have not been such a great flick.

Here is George Carlin going off on religion. RIP……

This Sunday will be strange _ Tim Russert, host of "Meet the Press", dead at age 58

Tim Russert, NBC News' Washington bureau chief and host of the channels "Meet the Press" died earlier this afternoon after a sudden heart attack. Russert was at work at the time and had just returned from a family vacation in Italy. The journalist and integral moderator of this election cycle was 58 years old.

Russert’s sudden passing is definitely a blow to the NBC News family, the sentiment echoed by both Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams this afternoon when the breaking story hit airwaves. Tim was a great moderator and presented a somewhat fair and balanced look at politics in this extremely divided climate. A Buffalo, NY native, Russert worked on various Democratic campaigns, including that of Mario Cuomo’s gubernatorial race before joining the news division over at NBC. He was a powerhouse and important figure in Washington, DC and in the coverage of American politics. Just this year, TIME named him one of the 100 Most Influential People and his write was provided by one time boss, Mario Cuomo himself. He was the host of "Meet the Press", a news program that hit its 60th year in production in 2007. Russert would meet with figure heads, pundits, candidates and others highly involved in the election cycle and process on this weekly program, that began to welcome my Sunday mornings a few years back.

Tim Russert passing had an odd effect on me mainly because he signifies a very important part of my life. See Russert was the commencement speaker at my graduation in 2003 from Purchase College in Purchase, NY. And what I can remember, it was a very nice speech, with a lot of emphasis on the future, keeping your eyes open, to not be afraid of doing the unexpected and testing limits. He referenced his own life and where he started from and where he was then. He requested us, the graduates, to get out there and investigate things around us and to not just take things, people, news, etc. at face value. 2003 was a big year for me in more ways than just graduating. I moved to New York City, became highly involve in politics and philanthropy and was able to participate in things I never dreamed of. Don’t get me wrong, Russert’s speech was not the guiding force behind the change, but I do remember his words and their power. And not to get too cheesy, but it is an incredible shame that someone with as much passion and interest in his daily work is no longer able to assist us in seeking out truth and never taking things at face value. There are many things in this world that act as signs for us and I do hope that a few people can take away from this sad story that it is never too late to do what you want to do.

My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. It is never easy losing someone you love, but it is even harder to lose them in the prime of their life, without notice. This Sunday will definitely be a bit strange.

A return from the Spielster and sad news in Tinseltown...

Wow does a lot of stuff happen when a chickadee heads south? I have just returned from a week in New Orleans/Baton Rouge for a celebration of my friends’ wedding and the ability to drink Hurricanes anywhere in the city and it was fabulous. First off, its always nice to get away from New York and get to see another part of the US, especially one that loves fried shrimp so much. I was able to see how a bunch of my friends lived before they moved to the city, see what happens when your gov’t doesn’t help out groups of people during Hurricanes and again drink alcohol in the middle of the street at 11AM. Now I am back to the crane collapsing, Sex and the City obsessed NYC and damn has a lot of stuff gone down while I was gone. First, let’s get to the sad news….

Sydney Pollack, one of my favorite directors and a Hollywood legend, passed away at age 73 this past Monday. Pollack was suffering from cancer and passed at his family home in Los Angeles. The man who aided in the revolution of the Easy Riders/Raging Bulls of the 1970’s film community, Pollack was responsible for some of the most memorable movies in American Cinema. Sydney directed, to name a few, Tootsie, The Way We Were, The Firm and Out of Africa, consistently working with huge Hollywood players and occasionally making appearances on the other sides of the camera lens.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and many many cinemaphiles, like myself, who appreciate the ability Pollack had to merge comedy with the drama of every day life. Here is a priceless scene from Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman and the wonderful director.


Also in sad news, Harvey Korman, star of The Carol Burnett Show and Blazing Saddles, passed away yesterday from complications from rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The comedic master was 81 years old at the time of death and had been suffering from the aneurysm's effects for the past four months. Korman was a mainstay in the comedy world of New York City, Chicago and the 1970's and 80's. Mel Brooks said that it is a sad world "without Harvey". Korman is survived by his wife and four children.



Later today, we will rounding up the week's gossip, news bits, reality TVs winners and losers and LOSTs big finale, an update on the Summer movie season, Cannes Film festival and the sheer madness that is Sex and the City. ENJOY!

Robert Rauschenberg: A Celebration of a Gifted Artist....

One of my favorite artists, as well as one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century, Robert Rauschenberg passed away last night at the age of 82.
A man who was able to mix sculpture and printmaking with painting and photography, created an area of art where the artists were not tied down to one specific medium and led the movement to postwar modernism.



He used the work and experience of Marchel Duchamp and others to breath new life into art with the mixing of various mediums, including technology and performance art. He bridged the gap between Expressionism was able to aid the leap in American art between Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Rauschenberg was able to take a stuffed bird, an empty drawer and a collage of hot air balloons and transform it into a beautiful piece of art. He was an inspiration to others in his field and will go down as one of the formative names in the art world.


Robert served in World War II and used the money he received from the GI Bill to study art in Kansas City and Paris, France. After a few years on the circuit, he traveled to Europe and Africa with fellow artist Cy Twombly in the mid 1950’s and began piecing together found objects and formulating them into works of art. Once he returned to New York and began spending time with an at the time unknown Jasper Johns, the two began to produce some of the most foremost pieces of postwar American artwork. While the two lived together, they continued to work on and produce art together as well as fan the flames of rumors and gossip discussing a more “intimate” relationship between the two. By the mid 1960’s, Rauschenberg had been touted as the most important American artist since Jackson Pollock and had won the grand prize at the Venice Biennale, the first modern American to win such an award. His name became synonymous with progressive, modern and awe inspiring artwork. He held many shows throughout the following years and celebrated retrospectives at such respected museums like the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum.

In the last few years, the artist created a home base and studio in Captiva, a small island off Florida’s Gulf Coast and returned to his residence in New York City often. He leaves behind years and years of wonderful work and the lesson that art is all about pushing boundaries and creating beauty. I had the opportunity to see a retrospective of his work at MOCA a few years ago and in person, I was blown away. A fan of his work for years, his ability to produce though provoking work with the simplest of materials is awe inspiring and has changed the way I look at art.

Sources: * NY Times
* Gawker

Daily Rounds....

It’s nice as hell here in NYC, so let’s keep the Daily Rounds short and nice…

* Insert “bloody hands” joke here, Charlton Heston, died at age 84 this past weekend. The actor was best known for screaming about dirty apes and supporting NRA.

* Take a ride on the new Simpsons coaster, as your Simpsons avatar.

* Earlier this week you read that Project Runway is headed towards Lifetime Network. Well apparently Lifetime is definitely attempting to hip its image up a bit and they have allowed The Golden Girls, one of the best TV sitcoms EVER!!!, to move to the Hallmark Channel.

* Here’s a fun little interview with Claire from this season’s America’s Next Top Model. Tomorrow, we will do our reality recap on the show.

* This is my new favorite thing! 23/6 takes a look at the Week in Skeeve and boy was this week bad!!!!

* In couple news, Robin Wright Penn and Sean Penn have called off the divorce and are getting back together, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are bumming out pop punk girls everywhere with their engagement news and Natalie Portman is now dating Devandra Banhart, the indie rock/folk singer.


And before I forget people, NBC's Thursday Night lineup is returning tonight with ALL NEW EPISODES. Check out the site for info on tonight's episodes of the Office (I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!) and freshen up with the rest of Season 4 here.

ENJOY!!!!

DAILY ROUNDS

First, apologies for the delays in Spielster posts. This weekend was CRAZY!!!! in a very good way and I have been working my fingers to the bone on my Halloween costume, so I have been unable to get the job done on the Spielster. Today or tomorrow, I will present a run down of “The Comedians of Comedy” show this past weekend at Irving Plaza, where I laughed for like 3 hours straight and found my new comic crush. Also, I had the chance to see Morissey on Sunday and that guy is fucking amazing. This being the third time I have seen him solo, its awesome that he continues to get better and better each time! And he played my favorite Smiths song “Stop Me if you think that you’ve heard this one before”, so it couldn’t have gotten any better. So more on that coming later, but let’s get to the news:



A Hollywood legend is no longer. Robert Goulet, a star who was always able to laugh at himself and enjoy life, passed away yesterday at 73 years old. The Camelot star and well known Hollywood icon has succumbed to his battle with pulmonary fibrosis and died at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. The crooner was waiting for a lung transplant due to his illness and has been on a breathing tube and confined to a bed for the past month. He is survived by Vera Goulet, his wife of 25 years and his three children from previous marriages.
I had the opportunity to see him perform a few years ago and his voice was amazing! I am getting very sad now that all members of the “Old Hollywood” group is starting to pass away. Unfortunately, since Goulet is the second celebrity who has passed this week,
following the death of Porter Wagoner and these things always happen in threes, I wonder who is next.

Daily News reports that Jive Records wants nothing to do with Britney Spears and her new ablum. Also, Ashley Olsen (1/2 of Michelle Tanner) was making out with Lance Armstrong this past Monday in the Rose Bar here in NYC. Wow, this dude really knows how to downgrade.

What a fun way to celebrate a birthday! Dermot Mulroney and Catherine Keener are officially dunzo. The couple, who wed in 1990, has legally dissolved their marriage and they both will single on December 17th. Today also marks the 44th birthday for Mulroney. This stinks because it seemed they really did well together, but stuff never seems to work out in Hollywood, even for indie actors.

Well this would make me commit suicide too! Owen Wilson and Jessica Simpson??? Uhhh, they are both blonde and are from Texas...I guess that's enough to create some kind of bond. I don't care as long as this chick stays away from the in-the-works Grease remake.

Heather Mills wanted to kill herself, but was apparently to in love with being famous to get the job done. Wah wah wah, I was married to a Beatle and then spat all this shit on him and women hated me. They were going to hate you regardless but ruining McCartney’s good name is just plain old dumb!

Thank you to Entertainment Weekly for pushing Reaper, one of my new favorite shows. This show is about a 21 year old, played by Bret Harrison,who finds out that his parents sold his soul to the devil when he was a child. He is now forced to work for the Devil, played wickedly by Ray Wise, from Twin Peaks fame. It is kind of like a funny version of Buffy, for dudes and ladies. The storylines are great, main characters are interesting and seem familiar. And how can a show which each week has people trying to catch escaped souls from hell, while figuring out their love light, not be entertaining? I highly recommend checking this out!!!!!

"Bordertown", Jennifer Lopez’s latest attempt at proving herself in the acting world, is going straight to video. Good thing she has twelve other “jobs” that help her pull in $25 million a year.

Daily Rounds...

UPDATED.....

Let’s get to the news folks….

Why did it take three months for the Senator Craig story to come out?– The Republican Senator from Idaho apparently tried to get frisky with a police office while waiting to board a plane in a Minnesota airport earlier this summer. Craig pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor offense, for the incident. Since the newspaper picked it up, Craig has been declaring is innocence and the fact that he is totally not gay. Just another hypocrite to add to the pile in D.C.

Coffee table book celebrates FugaziThe new release from photographer Glen E. Friedman, Keep Your Eyes Open, is a photography retrospective of the one of the original DIY bands and their 20 years of remaining true to the scene and themselves. The photos span small shows from the early 80’s, tour diaries and an up close look at a band from truly a “fan’s eye”. If anyone was wondering what to get me for my birthday, this is it.

"Dancing with the Stars" lets us know who will be making fools of themselves this fall. Hopefully, Mel “Scary Spice” Brown won’t get pregnant with Mark Cuban’s baby during the filming.

Maybe he will shut up now... Lindsay is now allowing her papa Lohan to visit her at rehab in Utah. Word is there are some seeded issues between the two (no you don’t say!!!) and the feel that the meeting will allow for some closure and growth. Hopefully he won’t hold a press conference after meeting up with her. Apparently not....Here is his exclusive interview with Perez Hilton

Chrissie Hynde ain't no fan of leather. And any moron could have told you that. The PETA and animal rights supporter is pissed off over the usage of her name for a pony skin bag from Hogan’s newest collection, which is honoring rock stars.

RIPHilly Kristal, founder of CBGB's, passed away. The man who helped the punk and subculture movement grow in New York died yesterday from his long battle with lung cancer. This could explain why he quit fighting with NYC over keeping CBGBs on the Bowery last year.

Britney still doesn't know how to dress...or wear pants or realize she is no longer a size 2. Ugggh...if it wasn't so bad I would be so over it.

Venice Film Festival turns 75 years old. The eleven day festival opened up today with "Atonement," the screen adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel starring Kiera Knightley and James McAvoy.

Angelina Jolie visits with refugees in Iraq and Syria. The UN Ambassador has been planning the mission with the agency for six months now. I have to say even though I can’t stand to see another pic of her, Brad Pitt and the family, this woman really does what she wants to do in support for her causes.

Speaking of pretty ladies in war torn countries, CBS sends Katie Couric to Iraq. The move is expected to increase Couric’s visibility as a journalist and give her credit. Or its just an attempt at getting her out of the CBS contract a “different way”.

In the network’s continued efforts to show every aspect of teenage life, MTV will produce "The Paper". The reality show will focus on a high school newspaper staff from Florida and show everything. Get ready for some cafeteria exposes and drama over who will editor-in-chief.

R.I.P. Merv Griffin

Merv Griffin, best known for his game show empire, passed away at age 82 this Sunday. The entertainer died from prostate cancer, which he had been suffering through the past few years.



Griffin, the creator and producer of ”Jeopardy” and ”Wheel of Fortune” was known throughout Hollywood as an intelligent businessman with a huge heart. The entertainer made his start in the business after leaving the University of San Francisco and taking a vocalist job at a local radio station in San Fran. He then moved onto a contract with Warner Brothers in the early 50’s and had his own talk show after NBC chose Johnny Carson over Griffin to host “The Tonight Show”. Griffin sold majority of the rights to ”Jeopardy” and ”Wheel of Fortune” and took the earnings to invest in real estate, most memorably purchasing The Beverly Hills Hilton, home of Trader Vics and The Golden Globes, from the Hilton family.

He left behind a son, Anthony Griffin and long and respected legacy in Hollywood, a very commendable thing in this business. Merv Griffin will be remembered by friends and colleagues on ”Larry King Live” tonight on
CNN at 9pm.