Whoops, one little bit of trivia I forgot to add to my Charlton Heston obituary

I made such a big deal about Charlton Heston walking with Martin Luther King during King's March on Washington and then sitting on the dais for the I Have a Dream speech. What I failed to note was that while America celebrated and mourned Dr. King on Friday, April 4 this year, the 40th Anniversary of King's death, Charlton Heston died the very next day, April 5.

The Freditor

Charlton Heston, one of my all-time favorite actors, dies at the age of 84

Charlton Heston stands with Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte after March on Washington.

July 23, 2001--The legendary Ziegfield Movie Theatre in New York City, my friend Bob and I were standing along the ropes of the red carpet for the premiere of the remake of Planet of the Apes. We took photos and watched as stars like Mark Wahlberg, Paul Giamatti and Helena Bonham Carter passed by, but we were both psyched to see a cast member who had a small role in the new film--Charlton Heston.
Heston was 77 then and a little shaky, but he looked happy there with his wife of 60+ years and college sweetheart, Lydia. A year later we would find out he had Alzheimer's, but that night was something special for Heston and especially for Bob and I. That was the only time either of us would ever see the man. We grew up watching and loving the Planet of the Apes (POTA) series and became Huge fans of its original star Heston. In the film he was as comfortable giving dense speeches as written by Twilight Zone's Rod Serling, as performing the half-naked stunts and showing anger, fear, tenderness and unyielding strength. I can't imagine another actor having the skills to fulfill the role of Taylor. Because of that part and that film, until I was about 20 years old, Charlton Heston was my favorite actor. I caught as many movies as I could of the man in that pre-video era.
Nearly 7 years later, Bob calls me and tells me that the Ziegfield will be holding a retrospective in honor POTA's 40th Anniversary. On March 29th, we go to see POTA on a big screen for the first time in our adult lives. We were surrounded by about 100 die-hard Ape fans and we chatted with them for about 20 minutes before the show started. We discussed several different things, but one subject that came up was Heston's failing health. Why do so many great minds fall to Alzheimer's? We put those thoughts away as we enjoyed the majesty of the film. It was my 2nd time seeing POTA in a theatre, Bob's 3rd. But just one week later, on the morning of April 6th, Bob calls to tell me that Charlton Heston had died. Very sad, but it had to be a relief to him and his family. You can't live a fuller life than he did.
My second favorite Heston film is The Ten Commandments. I've seen it only a few times less than POTA. The physical transformation that he goes through in that film is similar to the one he goes through in POTA, until the burning bush and his white mane come along. As a youngster, I never thought about the fact that this tall, blond WASP would play the leader of the Jews. He seemed perfectly cast for the part and I have yet to see another Moses who is as regal. Some of his roles were great, like in Ben-Hur, The Big Country, as John the Baptist in The Greatest Story Ever Told, Soylent Green and Major Dundee. Some were just so-so like in: The Greatest Show on Earth, Touch of Evil, Earthquake, Midway and Airport 1975. But he was never boring.
However, when I turned 20 in 1986 I had become a serious movie fan and when I watched other actors I found Heston to be a bit hammy. But his hamminess was part of that old-school approach to acting that started to disappear a few years after Heston had established himself. Though only 1 year older than Marlon Brando, their acting styles were generations apart. Heston was brought up in the theatrical tradition of acting that had dominated film for its first 50 years. The overacting and precise diction that bore little resemblance to real life. Brando was from the new school of method actors that paused and slurred their words to bring more realism to the screen. While Brando's style became the dominant form for the next 50 years of filmmaking, there was obviously still a strong call for Heston's style because he was the Top Box Office star of the '50s, '60s and early '70s.
By the time he made Planet of the Apes in 1967, he was king in the cinema world. Already an Oscar winner for Best Actor for Ben Hur and star of two Best Picture winners. For such a big star and serious actor to take part in a science fiction film was unheard of at the time. It was a risk, but one that paid off handsomely. From what I hear, Heston had such faith in the film's success that he took less money up front for a bigger percentage of the film's profits. It made $33 Million in just the US in 1968, an incredible amount for the time. Along with 2001-A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes ushered in a new era of serious science fiction filmmaking which would eventually culminate in Close Encounters and Star Wars nine years later.
His role in the new POTA in 2001 was a throwaway part that was more camp than serious acting. The whole movie was a big letdown after 30 years of praying for a new film by its legions of fans. Actually, my favorite acting jobs by Heston in the last 15 years were in True Lies as Arnold Schwarzenegger's angry boss and his hosting of Saturday Night Live in 1993. The writers that week pulled out all the stops and made one of the funniest shows of the last two decades. I'm sure many Heston fans like myself never realized how funny the man could be. Back then Phil Hartman, Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald, Mike Myers and Adam Sandler were all on the show and had memorable moments with Heston. Other than the obvious Apes skits, my favorite was called Bag Man. In it Heston plays an elderly stock boy working in a supermarket. When manager Phil Hartman attempts to fire him, Heston starts describing these horrific things that a man "could" do if he were pushed. All the while menacingly holding a box cutter, by the end of the skit, a very anxious Hartman is offering him a raise.
But the thing that most amazes me about Heston is his early political beliefs. While he later became a cause celebre for the right wing, from the '50s to the early '70s he was a noted liberal democrat with a strong belief in the civil rights of black people. In fact, after making The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur he became quite caught up in the whole freedom movement. When Martin Luther King had his march on Washington and later gave the I Have a Dream speech, Heston was right by his side. Unfortunately, he is cut out of most of the pictures you see. But for a white man of his stature to stand with Dr. King that day was a very brave thing to do. Despite the hullabaloo you hear nowadays, most of America hated King and what he stood for back then. Anyone attached to that cause put themselves at great risk, if not physically, at least monetarily.
I don't care about Heston's love of guns and ascendancy to the head of the NRA. I attribute some of his later political beliefs to his eventual delirium. He was a tall, statuesque man who played parts that were larger than life and indeed lived a life that was larger than most. I'm glad he's getting such a loud sendoff.

The Freditor

Forgetting Sarah Marshall-much funnier than ads would lead you to believe

* * * * (out of 5)

Judd Apatow gets mucho credit with me in all endeavors. If he writes it, directs it or produces it I will always see them and reserve judgment until later. Oddly, the commercials for his movies always give me the impression that the film will be lame. The problem always is, the best parts can never be shown on television. His R-Rated comedies are made realistically for adults and thus earn their R ratings. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is no exception. Sometimes hApatow knocks it out of the park, ala 40 Year Old Virgin and the TV show Freaks and Geeks. Sometimes it lacks a little something like Knocked Up and Walk Hard.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is better than Knocked, but not as good as 40 Year. Still it's a fun night for any couple. Despite being told from the guy's point of view, this is definitely not a guy movie. All the characters are well drawn and everyone has their moment to shine. Written and starring Freaks veteran and Apatow protege Jason Segel, this is the story of a nice guy musician who's happily in love with his TV star girlfriend until she unsuspectingly breaks up with him at the beginning of the movie. As he just comes out of the shower, the moment happens while he's naked. It is supposed to be a funny metaphor for how he feels, but after the initial shock and giggles the scene is less funny than uncomfortable. Uncomfortable, embarrassing moments are an Apatow hallmark, but I find them less enjoyable than straight on comedy.

The movie and laughs pick up big time when Segel's character Peter takes a much needed vacation to Hawaii, only to find that he's staying in the same hotel as his ex-girlfriend. Anyone who's been to Hawaii knows what a tonic the place and people can be for whatever ails you and among the tonics that Peter finds is the girl from the concierge desk, Rachel Jansen, played by That '70s Shows beauty Mila Kunis. There is a wounded charm in her eyes and voice that makes her instantly appealing to Peter and to the movie as a whole. I haven't seen That '70s Show in years, but I remember not liking her character, but for the last 8 years she has been the voice of Family Guy's daughter Meg, who is always put down for her looks and personality. Perhaps that voiceover work helped make her a more sympathetic performer. Whatever it works.

Segel was one of six favorites for me from Freaks and Geeks and although I don't watch it, is supposed to be good on How I Met Your Mother. Here he plays a very recognizable ordinary guy, who can morph into a pathetic loser if he is allowed. Fortunately, those around him don't let that happen. One great scene is so telling. A big teddy bear of a Hawaiian named Kemo asks him to help prepare the pig for the luau, but Peter doesn't know that includes killing the pig. He's forced to stab the pig all the while screaming, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." When he cries for like the 10th time in the movie, this time for the pig you can't help but crack up laughing.

His ex-girlfriend is played by Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell. Another show I've never watched, but that I hear good things about. As Sarah, we could be forced to hate her and see her as a lying, backstabbing bitch, but there are way more layers to her and you can see why Peter was so gaga over her and then so heartbroken.

This all sounds so serious, where are the laughs Fred? They're everywhere. The movie is filled with them and always within the context of the story which is my favorite way. In some ways Segel is the least funny person in the movie, he is upstaged constantly by Kunu the surfing teacher, Kemo the buffet server, Dwayne the bartender and Matthew the waiter. But the best is the supposed villain of the movie, Aldous Snow, the lead singer of British rock band, Infant Sorrow, and Sarah's new boyfriend. At first he seems clueless, but then you realize he's way more aware than he lets on. It's like Peter lost his girlfriend to a young Mick Jagger.

The clips of Sarah's CSI type show are very funny, but not as good as the clip that shows after the credits start to roll. And don't miss the final song, a classic inside joke that only I laughed at. Prince and Sinead O'Connor's touching breakup song Nothing Compares To You, sung in Hawaiian, by Daniel Ho, no relation to Don Ho.


The Freditor

Witnessed a new Phenomenom at the movies last night--Kind of shocked me--fred

I'd read about them, but hadn't seen any yet. The R-Rated trailer or as the industry calls them "red band trailers" don't cut anything out for a general audience. In the past, you'd wait to see some horrific horror film with blood, guts and decapitated heads, but the trailers that they'd play before the movies would have menacing shadows during the killings and never any blood.

By the same token you'd never see nudity or hear curse words in a trailer because it might offend the audience that is there to see an R-Rated movie--How Stupid.

But in order to increase the hype and excitement for an upcoming release, the movie studios have taken off the gloves and decided to release red band trailers to give the audience a real idea of what the movie is about. To see one for the first time is exciting. Kind of like the first time you saw an uncut R-rated movie on cable TV. In the back of your mind you're saying, "Wow, I can't believe they are doing that on TV." Well that was my same reaction yesterday when I heard a character say the F-word in a trailer for the upcoming comedy, "Pineapple Express." "Wow, I can't believe they are using a word like that in a trailer." Then they show a man's brains gets blasted and a stoner putting his thumb through his fly to simulate a penis.

A couple more of these and I will not notice it anymore.

The Freditor