Thursday, March 24, 2011

Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011

I confess. I'm a bit late to the show on this one, and that's not just a day or two late in posting this after Dame Taylor's passing. I mean I was late in discovering the phenomenal talent that is Elizabeth Taylor.

Oh sure, I knew the name, but the fact is, my first real exposure to her was on "General Hospital." Long after her film career was over, in the heyday of the soap when the names Luke and Laura were on everyone's lips, Elizabeth Taylor made a few appearances on "GH" as the sinister Helena Cassadine, in the highest rated episodes of any daytime soap opera. Of course by that time, she had already reached legend status.

The violet-eyed beauty had begun her career as a teenager decades earlier and went on to appear in dozens of films, television shows and stage roles. Liz was a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actress, for Butterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? respectively. It was in the latter film that I first saw what an amazing talent she truly was. From that point on, I caught up on her films.

The aforementioned Woolf is probably my all time favorite, but she is best known for her roles in National Velvet, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Raintree County, Suddenly, Last Summer and of course the title role in 1963's Cleopatra. Liz was also known for her many marriages and in recent decades her work with many AIDS-related charities.

Elizabeth Taylor passed away yesterday morning due to complications of congestive heart failure, she was 79. We have lost one of the great ladies of Hollywood's Golden Age, and we are much poorer for it. She will be missed.

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

RIP Michael Gough

For a couple generations of movie-goers, Michael Gough is best known as Alfred Pennyworth in the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films in the Batman franchise, but he has had a long and distinguished career in television and film. Today, at 94, he passed away of old age in London, surrounded by family and friends.

Gough appeared in over one hundred and fifty productions including several Hammer horror films, animated and live action features by Tim Burton, Trog, Konga, The Age of Innocence, "Doctor Who," "The Avengers" and many BBC mini-series. He'll be missed.

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

The All Things Fun! Live Comics Vidcast for 3-9-11

Shot live in a real comics and gaming store in West Berlin, New Jersey, All Things Fun!, co-hosts Ed Evans, Allison Eckel, and Glenn Walker, discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, now in high definition.

The first segment includes discussion of the following topics: Charlie Sheen, the Maxwell Lord/Wonder Woman connection, the busy Batman Inc. #3 cover, the 1959 Avengers, Hawkeye: Blindspot #2, Venom #1, and Fear Itself from Matt Fraction himself.



The discussion continues in segment two including: Ed's Leftovers featuring Incredible Hulks #624, Punisher Max #11, Zatanna #10, Age of X, Fables, Spawn and Donald Duck, Super/Flash racism, The Challenge featuring the mystery of 5 Ronin Hulk, iZombie #11, badly drawn feet, Dark Sun sure is printed on nice paper stock, and eight comics in under a minute by Glenn.



Be sure to check out the All Things Fun! website and the All Things Fun! Blogs, by Allison and Glenn, and ATF! on YouTube.

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