The Arkansas Line

You gotta watch this trailer for Babies

2010-04-02T23:07:00.004-05:00

Several months ago, I saw a movie trailer in the theater for a film called Babies. I liked the trailer so much I came home and immediately began searching for more info about the film online. No luck. I finally managed to find the movie, under its original title Bébé(s) on IMDb. It's a French production set to open in the U.S. on May 7th.

Maybe I'm just an old softy, but this two minute preview really got to me, and apparantly I'm not alone.

The movie is a nearly wordless documentary about the first year in the life of four babies in four different cultures around the world. The trailer is simply hypnotic. There is something magical about watching babies doing even the simplest things, and I have a feeling we're all gonna be talking about this film in the weeks and months ahead. This USA Today story says:

Paul Dergarabedian, Hollywood.com box-office analyst, says Babies has all the signs of a sleeper hit in the making. "I am not a baby guy, but I was riveted by the trailer," he says. "It's difficult to impress and surprise people, but this is one of those times where you say, 'I got to see this movie.' "

Dallas police charge singer for nekkid music video

2010-04-02T22:11:00.006-05:00

Singer Erykah Badu, a native of Dallas, has now been charged by police in the Texas city with disorderly conduct for undressing in front of tourists, including children, during a music video shoot last month in Dealey Plaza, where President Kennedy was assassinated.

Those unfamiliar with the lovely singer's work should know that she's a multiple Grammy winner sometimes called the Queen of Neo-Soul. In other words, she's no upstart, but an artist with serious ambitions, as well as critical and commercial success.

The video in question has been removed from YouTube, but you can still watch it (for now) on Badu's website. While there, you can also listen to the rest of her new album. Stream it by clicking on the album cover image on the home page.

Meanwhile, people still confused about exactly what Badu was trying to say with the video may get some answers Saturday night when she appears on the late night FOX talk show hosted by Wanda Sykes. In a Tweet to fans, the singer acknowledged that many have failed to understand what she was getting at:
I would never disrespect JFK. his revolutionary thinking is my inspiration. my performance art has been grossly misinterpreted by many.

Blanche ads draw prime time fire on MSNBC

2010-04-01T22:04:00.010-05:00

Arkansas's senior Senator Blanche Lincoln played a leading role in tonight's Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC.

At issue: the seeming disconnect between Lincoln's ads running on black radio stations claiming she "stood with our president to pass healthcare reform" and an earlier TV spot in which she took credit for fighting against the public option healthcare plan.

The network's prime time liberal host, who has openly encouraged and supported Bill Halter's challenge to Lincoln, named our Democratic senator tonight's "Worst Person in the World!!!"

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Imus, Wallace react to Cokie Roberts comments

2010-04-01T17:06:00.005-05:00

I wrote yesterday about Cokie Roberts' reaction to some locker room humor on the Don Imus radio program. (I'm shocked - shocked! - to learn that there is such low brow material on the Imus show.)

Today, Imus and his guest Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday tried to explain their joke, and in the process managed to insult Cokie by calling her measured comments on the issue "hysterical."

Israeli lawmaker wants to cap the price of movie popcorn

2010-04-01T14:04:00.003-05:00

You listening, Arkansas General Assembly?

This article about the proposed legislation says a large popcorn sells for about $5 at Israeli theaters. Sounds like a bargain compared to what I've seen around these parts.

The report in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper features a predictable response from those responsible for the high prices:

Yaacov Cohen, the owner of one of Israel's largest theatre complexes, said owners made virtually no profit from ticket sales and would be hard pressed to survive if food sales were limited.

"It would destroy the entire industry," he told Yediot.

NPR's Cokie Roberts talks gender politics

2010-03-31T23:44:00.013-05:00

Interesting interview with Cokie Roberts today on Tell Me More, an NPR program we don't air here in central Arkansas.

The topic: why so many male politicians keep getting caught up in sex scandals while so few women encounter the same fate. Roberts also discusses why female lawmakers can get along civilly when their male counterparts seem able only to shout insults across the aisle during contentious debate.

The program delved into some media analysis, with Cokie offering her reaction to a little locker-room humor engaged in by Don Imus and Fox News' Chris Wallace during a recent discussion of Sarah Palin:

It's appalling. It's just appalling.

Broyles' memory is selective on race issues

2010-03-30T22:40:00.012-05:00

Today, I covered Frank Broyles speaking at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center about racial integration of Arkansas Razorback athletics. Here's my story, along with audio of the coach's complete remarks.

The event was organized by several of Broyles' former black players, but not everyone is on board in praising the long-time football coach and athletic director for his record on race relations. For one thing, Broyles comes off rather badly in a new book about Nolan Richardson. Not only was he documented using the "n" word on several occassions, but the facts of his work to add black players to his teams are somewhat different than what the 85-year-old coach told his Little Rock audience today.

The Arkansas Times blog has a rather spirited discussion going on this issue.

My take? I tend to think Broyles has a selective memory when it comes to these things.

He told the crowd it was the rules (or perhaps some unspoken rules) of the Southwest Conference that delayed his recruiting of black players. But that fails to explain why SMU had its first black varsity player in 1966 and Jon Richardson didn't play for Arkansas until 1970.

During the event, Broyles praised Nolan Richardson to high heaven, saying that his race played absolutely no part in the decision to hire him in 1985 as the first black head basketball coach at a major southern school (something for which Broyles should be recognized). As the coach spoke, I wanted to shout "Then why did you force Nolan out?" After the program, I asked Broyles that very question. He told me that it's hard to say, that both men got bad advice, and that while the two are not friends, Broyles now respects Richardson and hopes the feeling is mutual.

Then I asked coach why he refused to be interviewed for Rus Bradburd's new book about Nolan. Broyles either has a crummy secretary, a very poor memory or he outright lied in response. He told me first he didn't remember being asked for an interview, though Bradburd told me he had asked to speak with Broyles dozens of times over a period of months. Then, in the next breath, coach said he was unfamiliar with the author anyway. So, did he know nothing about any request for an interview, or was it that he was afraid of talking with anyone outside of the loyal, unquestioning Arkansas sports media.

I predict this AP story will be one of the few to even mention any of this, by bringing up the lingering bad taste over the Nolan firing and subsequent lawsuit. Let's see if TV or the Dem-Gaz make any mention of the negatives, or if they just go with a feel-good story about a celebration of 40-years of racial integration of Arkansas sports.

UPDATE: Here's KARK 4's story.

I can't find a KATV 7 story online, but here's KTHV 11's:

Keet campaign, can I take a message?

2010-03-30T10:43:00.006-05:00

This blog entry by James Jefferson raises questions about just how serious a candidate Jim Keet actually is. Keet is a Republican running for governor this year.

Jefferson, the news editor for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau, says:

A month into his candidacy, Republican Jim Keet’s campaign is still taking calls at the GOP state headquarters.

The party’s main line is listed on Keet’s news release today...

A call to the number listed under campaign contact Katherine Vasilos’ name on the release was answered by the state Republican Party executive director himself, Chase Duggar.

Duggar says Keet’s campaign is working out of GOP headquarters “until he’s able to get his own office.”

Writer sorry for Scientology flick; Anderson works on Hubbard biopic

2010-03-29T20:35:00.008-05:00

The poor guy who will forever be remembered as the screenwriter of the consensus worst movie of the decade, perhaps ever, is doing a mea culpa.

J.D. Shapiro, who showed up in-person recently to accept the Razzie award for his stinker, recounts the hilarious story of how he came to work for the Church of Scientology. After all, the movie Battlefield Earth is based on a sci-fi novel by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the celebrity-studded neo-religion.

In the New York Post, Shapiro tells the whole story in a column called "I penned the suckiest movie ever - sorry!"

And speaking of Scientology, have you heard that one of America's best young film directors is making a movie about Hubbard (rocking the neckerchief at left) and the founding of his religion? Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood) is hands down my favorite director these days. He has been working for some time on getting his Scientology film off the ground. Not surprisingly, he's had some trouble finding the money to make his movie in Hollywood, where the church has for years worked very hard to win converts. Besides Travolta, star of Battlefield Earth, the church also claims as members Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley and Jenna Elfman, as well as dozens of producers, directors and other behind-the-scenes entertainment types.

New York Magazine reports that Universal is passing on the project. Reports are that Hubbard's separated-at-birth twin Philip Seymour Hoffman will star, if and when Anderson gets the financial backing.

And for those who care, South Park did a devastating, truth-filled take on Scientology a couple of years ago.

New music video features nudity, history and confused tourists

2010-03-29T20:20:00.007-05:00

Have you seen the new video by Erykah Badu for her song Window Seat? She gets nekkid right on the spot where JFK was shot to death.

Says here in the Dallas Morning News that Badu filmed the video guerrilla-style earlier this month.

The controversial video, shot in one long take, shows Badu walking through Dealy Plaza in Dallas slowly stripping off all of her clothes in front of bewildered tourists before the inevitable ending.

Here's the video itself. See what you think. Watch the vid, then read her interview in the Dallas paper. Did you understand what she was trying to say?

Roadkill resuscitation

2010-03-26T18:04:00.004-05:00

I have been pretty drunk in my time, but I never tried to give mouth to mouth resuscitation to road kill, at least not that I recall.

I love this quote from the state trooper, who said the suspect
was "extremely intoxicated" and "did have his mouth in the area of the animal's mouth, I guess."
Oh, and it was in Punxsutawney, PA... but the critter was not a groundhog?

He's Brian Fellow!!!

2010-03-25T16:09:00.009-05:00

Tracy Morgan of SNL fame plays Tracy Jordan on the amazing NBC sitcom 30 Rock (tonight at 8:30). He is in fact Tina Fey's secret weapon. His surreal take on life adds just the right touch of strange silliness to the award-winning show.

Here's a favorite sketch from Tracy's time on Saturday Night Live... If you aren't familiar with Brian Fellow's Safari Planet, you're in for a treat.

Cantor: Someone fired a shot at his campaign office

2010-03-25T13:51:00.004-05:00

Here's Republican Congressman Eric Cantor talking about reports of violence aimed at some lawmakers in the wake of the weekend vote on health care reform.

He says it's not only Democrats who are facing acts of vandalism and threats of violence. And, Cantor says, Dems are using the threats for political gain.

Things are getting scary

2010-03-24T20:04:00.012-05:00

Passions surrounding this weekend's House vote on the health care reform bill have apparently inspired some nuts to go too far. The AP reports:
The FBI is investigating threats against lawmakers stemming from intense opposition to the health care overhaul law.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says more than 10 Democratic lawmakers have reported incidents. Hoyer adds that the FBI and Capitol Police briefed Democrats on how to handle perceived security threats.

Politico reports that:

Hoyer is warning that some of his Democratic colleagues are being threatened with violence when they go back to their districts — and he wants Republicans to stand up and condemn the threats.

Sarah Palin posted the map above on the web page for her PAC. Note that Arkansas Democrat Vic Snyder warrants his own cross hairs.

On MSNBC this afternoon, anchor/host David Shuster, formerly of KATV-7 in Little Rock, offered a commentary on this whole affair, though it doesn't appear from this clip that it was clearly labeled as such.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Keet, Rove have trouble with epithet/epitaph confusion

2010-03-24T14:04:00.006-05:00

Driving home yesterday afternoon, I tuned in a few minutes of the Dave Elswick show on KARN to see which Republican office seeker he had on as a guest. It was GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Keet, who said something that made me giggle.

Praising the Tea Party movement, Keet said they were mostly great Americans despite the few bad apples who sometimes shouted "epitaphs."

Harking back to the weekend protests by Tea Party members outside the U.S. Capitol, I conjured up a mental image of Congressman John Lewis facing shouts of "Rest in Peace!" and "Here Lies Fred Dorf: Loving Husband and Father!"

Keet was not alone in mixing up the two words. This blogger in Houston noted the confusion, writing that Karl Rove also tried to use the word "epithet" on ABC Sunday morning only to end up saying something that sounded more like "epitat" or maybe even "ipecac."

Here's the clip... you can hear the "epitat" remark at about 2:00 into this video.

MGMT album stream undercuts NPR release

2010-03-24T13:46:00.004-05:00

The online release of MGMT's new album Congratulations at the band's website is a blow to NPR, which had made arrangements to begin streaming the record as part of it's First Listen program. The Wall Street Journal writes about the release, which comes in response to the leak of the album over the weekend on file sharing sites.

Billboard has a nice feature about the new music and just how weird it is compared with the band's first record.

New MGMT album is here

2010-03-22T15:56:00.004-05:00

Their sophomore album Congratulations is not set for release until April 13, but the website for MGMT is now streaming the record online for free.

MGMT (say the letters, not management) is a two-person combo featuring Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden, who is a native of Memphis. The duo met and began their musical collaborations at Wesleyan University. Their first album, Oracular Spectacular, was released in 2007. The record was included on many critics' Best of 2007 lists, and was nominated for two Grammys, best pop performance by a duo or group, and best new artist.

The band's first live show of 2009 was in Little Rock in June of last year at The Village, the domed movie theater at Asher and University formerly known as the Cinema 150. I was there. The event was a mess... patrons with tickets were kept waiting outdoors until some two hours after the advertised start time, then thanks to a non-working AC, it was 100+ degrees inside. A cup of water cost $2. But the band was great.

MGMT is usually classified as a neo-psychedelia group, but the music is really all over the map. Check out the video samples below, then click over to the new record to hear more.

Here are VanWyngarden and Goldwasser at a college party circa 2003 performing a version of Talking Heads' Naive Melody:

Here's Time to Pretend, MGMT's breakthrough single from the first record:

And here's a second trippy video from Oracular Spectacular for the single Electric Feel:

You gotta know Jack, right?

2010-03-20T00:23:00.006-05:00

I know this is only about fifteen years past its sell-by date, but I am often surprised by how many people respond with blank stares when I mention the classic computer game You Don't Know Jack.

Says here the first incarnation of this way cool trivia game was released in 1995. The general knowledge version was followed shortly by sports, movies and TV editions.

YDKJ was originally a CD-ROM game, but the makers put it online here a few years ago, and even produced new weekly episodes. The one below is from April 2007. The website also sells the original CD-ROM versions.

It's a game show with a wise-ass host and lots of attitude. The questions are written in a tricky way that takes a little getting used to, but if you are not familiar with the game give it a try. It's a lot of fun.

I love me some Justified on FX

2010-03-18T19:01:00.024-05:00

If you missed the first episode Tuesday night, let me recommend you seek out a new series on the FX cable network (channel 59 on Comcast in Pulaski County).

The show is called Justified, and like other excellent FX series such as The Shield and The Riches, it's rated TV-MA, for mature audiences due to some fairly graphic violence and repeated use of the words shit and bullshit. So just know that going in... but what a program. The first hour really gets you hooked.

With LOST winding down, I had been looking for a new drama series to get into. This seems likely to be it.

The show stars Timothy Olyphant, who played the sheriff on HBO's Deadwood, as a deputy U.S. Marshall in Florida who shoots one too many suspects and is transferred from the sun and surf back to the hometown he thought he had escaped in the coal mining hills of Kentucky.

Olyphant plays Raylin Givens as the quiet type who shoots first and asks questions later. One review I read mentioned that Givens is the first TV cop to wear a Stetson hat since Dennis Weaver played McCloud from 1970-1977.

What makes the pilot episode seem like the opening chapter of a great novel is the supporting cast, most notably Walton Goggins (Shane Vendrell on The Shield) as Boyd Crowder, Raylin's best buddy growing up, but now a White Supremacist and local crime boss. That's him at left.

You have two more chances to catch the first episode of Justified before episode 2 premieres at 9:00 Tuesday night. You can watch the pilot on FX at 10:00 Friday night and at 10:30 Saturday night. Consult your guides to double-check me on those times.

Poking around on the website for the series I learn there is no streaming of the episode yet (perhaps to come in a few days after the repeat airings).

I also learn about a potentially exciting new project involving Goggins and his Little Rock producing partners Ray McKinnon and Lisa Blount. The three run the Little Rock-based Ginny Mule Pictures. McKinnon is the fine character actor who played the "bona-fide" suitor in O Brother, Where Art Though? Blount and I did a play together at Jacksonville High School circa 1975, then just a few years later she won accolades for her role in An Officer and A Gentleman. She and her husband McKinnon won Oscars for co-producing the 2001 short subject The Accountant.

Anyway, it says on the FX website that:

Goggins is in development at AMC on Rectify, an original series for which he will star and executive produce. The project is written by Ray McKinnon and exec produced by Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad).
Sounds very exciting. AMC is the home of Mad Men and Breaking Bad, two of the most acclaimed free cable dramas to come along in years. Elsewhere, I read that in the series Goggins will play a wrongfully convicted man who finally gets exonerated thanks to DNA evidence.

David Byrne concept album tackles the Imelda Marcos life story

2010-03-17T18:35:00.011-05:00

Former Talking Head David Byrne (favorite lyric: "Animals think... They're pretty smart... Shit on the ground... See in the dark!") is releasing a new album called Here Lies Love.

The 2 CD release is a concept album Byrne worked on with techno/electronica whiz Norman Cook, AKA Fatboy Slim.

Rolling Stone's review describes the album this way:

Here David Byrne turns an unwieldy premise — a musical dramatization of former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos' early life — into dizzy fun by setting 22 songs to Fatboy Slim's lush and bustling dance beats.
The record, featuring guest vocalists like Cyndi Lauper, Steve Earle, Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs and Kate Pierson of the B52s, has been a five-year labor of love for Byrne. This lengthy review/feature delves into the long journey this music has taken to its planned CD release April 6th.

Here's a video for the first single Please Don't featuring Santigold:

And here is a widget that will let you listen to samples of all 22 songs:

Bill Hicks: Comic, philosopher, documentary subject

2010-03-17T17:31:00.014-05:00

One of the movies premiering at SXSW the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas this month is called American: The Bill Hicks Story. The documentary tells the story of Bill Hicks, a legendary comedian and social commentator who died of cancer in Little Rock in 1994 at the age of only 32. He is by far my favorite comedian of all time. Hicks is huge in Great Britain, but America has so far seemed less willing to embrace his difficult truths.

I've done a couple of stories about Bill for KUAR Radio, one here won an award for us while this story last year focused on a Letterman appearance by Hicks mother, who still lives in Little Rock and was on hand for the premiere of the film in Austin. Mary Hicks heard the first story on FM 89 and sent me a book of Bill's writings along with a gracious personal note.

Here's a clip from the documentary, which features a really cool new animation technique.

And here's a half-hour of Hicks' uncensored stand-up from 1990. Brilliant.

FOX News and the mainstream media

2010-03-15T22:54:00.008-05:00

Sunday, The Washington Post published an interesting piece by former New York Times editor Howell Raines.

The column harshly attacks FOX News:

For the first time since the yellow journalism of a century ago, the United States has a major news organization devoted to the promotion of one political party. And let no one be misled by occasional spurts of criticism of the GOP on Fox. In a bygone era of fact-based commentary typified, left to right, by my late colleagues Scotty Reston and Bill Safire, these deceptions would have been given their proper label: disinformation.
And he has similar venom for those of us in the mainstream media who have mostly stood by while FOX owner Rupert Murdoch changed the rules of journalism:

Why has our profession, through its general silence -- or only spasmodic protest -- helped Fox legitimize a style of journalism that is dishonest in its intellectual process, untrustworthy in its conclusions and biased in its gestalt?...

Why can't American journalists steeped in the traditional values of their profession be loud and candid about the fact that Murdoch does not belong to our team? His importation of the loose rules of British tabloid journalism, including blatant political alliances, started our slide to quasi-news.

The column has inspired debate here, here and here.

I have often wondered about the appearance on FOX News Sunday of NPR's Juan Williams and Mara Liason. NPR's ombudsman has even tackled the issue. NPR's attitude is that it's okay as long as reporters obey the network's ethics guidelines. Ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin writes:

Nothing riles some public-radio listeners like NPR journalists appearing on FOX News television programs. Two prominent NPR correspondents, Mara Liasson and Juan Williams are regular panelists on FOX. What bothers those NPR listeners who complain to me is that the cable television network openly espouses conservative opinions as expressed by outspoken hosts. The FOX slogan, "fair and balanced" is deemed by many of the complainants as ironic, to say the least.

That's because NPR makes every effort to remain nonpartisan, and FOX, it appears, does not. Frustrated public-radio listeners tell me that the NPR presence only serves as cover for FOX's claim that it is "fair and balanced."

UAPB on ESPN Tuesday, Duke on deck

2010-03-15T17:21:00.006-05:00

Here's an interview I did today with the Athletic Director for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (love that mascot logo above).

Skip Perkins was grinning from ear to ear (I could actually hear the grin through the phone lines) as he discussed his team's remarkable season.

They lost their first 11 straight games in a road trip the New York Times saw fit to write up in December. The team earned around $700K playing pre-season games against much stronger competitors across the country.

The Golden Lions didn't play their first home game until January, then went 14-4 in SWAC conference play, ending the season at 17-15. They earned a spot in the NCAA tournament by winning the SWAC post-season tournament Saturday.

The Lions face Winthrop in the tournament's "play-in" game tomorrow night. They'll be the only NCAA game on national TV (ESPN) Tuesday. The winner faces top-seed Duke in the tournament's first round Friday night in Jacksonville, Florida.

UAPB is the only Arkansas team in the tournament this year, and I could tell by talking with Perkins that the school, its alumni and the beleaguered city of Pine Bluff are really excited about the chance to represent our state on a national stage. Virtually every Arkansas round ball fan will be tuned in tomorrow night (I'll be watching around LOST) for this exciting game.

Go UAPB!!!

Would you pay to watch her eat?

2010-03-15T13:41:00.004-05:00

Can this story be for real?

A website from Australia reports that a New Jersey woman who already weighs 600 pounds wants to get even fatter:

Donna Simpson, from New Jersey, weighs 273kg but told the Daily Mail newspaper she had her heart set on reaching her goal weight of 1000lb (450kg) in two years.

The 42-year-old already holds the title of the world's fattest mother after giving birth to her daughter in 2007 when she weighed 241kg.

"I'd love to be 1000lb ... it might be hard though, running after my daughter keeps my weight down," Ms Simpson told the Daily Mail.

The story also has this helpful explanation:

Her 49-year-old partner Philippe — who she met on a dating site for plus-size people — was encouraging her to reach her goal, she said.

"I think he'd like it if I was bigger ... he's a real belly man and completely supports me," she said.

To put on enough weight, Ms Simpson will need to eat 12,000 calories a day, which is six times the recommended daily intake for women.

In order to pay for the enormous amounts of food she is eating — her weekly grocery bill is $815 — Ms Simpson makes money by running a website where men pay to watch her consume fast food.

Alabaster Jones, stylin' at Oaklawn

2010-03-14T19:08:00.008-05:00

At the track in Hot Springs yesterday there was a big crowd, and as always it was a great place for people watching.

So I'm walking through the main grandstand area on the bottom floor when I notice a particularly interesting looking fellow. As I follow him through the mass of semi-drunken people, I pull out my cell phone camera, feeling a little sheepish about trying to covertly snap a picture of this guy. But I go ahead and do so.

This guy is wearing a purple suit head-to-toe topped off by a floor-length white fur coat and that sweet skypiece. While I am snapping from the back, this other guy wearing jeans and a ball cap walks up and asks the mack daddy to pose with him for a souvenir snapshot. I swung around in front of them just as the man's wife showed them both the resulting cell phone photo.

I didn't speak with the Oaklawn Playa, but I was reminded of an incredible King of the Hill episode where Hank Hill, pretending to be a pimp, confronts a real Oklahoma City pimp named Alabaster Jones (played by Snoop Dogg), who wears a similar outfit. (Sorry for the poor quality of this YouTube clip.)

Oaklawn's "Race for the Ages" falls through

2010-03-14T18:08:00.008-05:00

The Associated Press reports this afternoon that the big Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta show-down in Oaklawn's Apple Blossom Handicap next month has fallen through.

The development is not unexpected.

Both horses, among the best females ever, faced key prep races yesterday as they readied for the April 9th Oaklawn race. Zenyatta won her race at Santa Anita in California, but Rachel Alexandra was upset in her test at the New Orleans Fair Grounds.

This is a huge blow to Oaklawn, its owner Charles Cella (who on February 4th had offered a $5 million purse if both horses took part) and the city of Hot Springs.

They had set up a website to help arrange transportation and lodging for the expected hoard.

There were reports of people paying thousands to rent Hot Springs condos.

Racing fans from around the world were reportedly inquiring about whether the tiny Hot Springs Airport could handle their private jets.

These trading cards printed by the Hot Springs Visitors Bureau were selling for up to $50 on eBay.

I was at Oaklawn yesterday, where they had set up special souvenir stands selling framed photos and posters featuring the two horses.

The AP story above says:

"Naturally, we are disappointed that Rachel Alexandra will not be here for the Apple Blossom Invitational," the track said in a statement. "We wish her the best of luck on the rest of her 2010 racing campaign. We look forward to welcoming Zenyatta back to Arkansas as she attempts to equal Cigar and Citation's modern-day record of 16 consecutive unrestricted victories."

A gracious statement, but Oaklawn officials have to be devastated by the news.

On the other hand, everyone in the race business knows that thoroughbreds are fragile animals and nothing is certain.

I ask you: Did the track and the city perhaps get a little overconfident in promoting this potential "Race for the Ages" months in advance?

Jeff Bridges sings The Weary Kind

2010-03-12T17:58:00.001-06:00

Oscar winner sings an Oscar winner.

Kind of makes you wish they hadn't abandoned the performances of best song nominees this year.

Corliss to coach UCA Bears; I'm reminded of a nude beauty queen (?!)

2010-03-12T16:46:00.018-06:00

The big sports news today is that former Arkansas Razorback and NBA star Corliss Williamson is the new men's basketball coach at my alma mater UCA.

The fine Conway daily The Log Cabin Democrat reports that:

Williamson is leaving his job as coach at Arkansas Baptist, a junior college in Little Rock, to take over at Division I Central Arkansas, according to Charles Ripley, the athletic director at Arkansas Baptist.

Ripley says Arkansas Baptist is "excited" for Williamson and that he expects the former Arkansas Razorback to "do very well" at Central Arkansas.
Max Brantley over at the Arkansas Times Blog reports that Corliss has:

mentioned that Scotty Thurman may join him as an assistant.
This is all very interesting given that I had a brush with both men today.

I did this story about the city of Little Rock's effort to encourage participation in the census this year. The city had arranged this morning for Corliss, Scotty and Arkansas Baptist President Fitz Hill to show up at a TV studio and record PSAs (Public Service Announcements) targeting minority residents of the capitol city.

The shoot was to begin at 10:00, but when I arrived with other reporters and photographers we were informed that Williamson would not be able to make it after all. This was a bit annoying as he was the biggest name among those we were told were coming. Dr. Hill didn't show up until maybe 10:15, and he ended up doing a PSA with Sgt. Cassandra Davis of the LRPD. As I was leaving around 10:45, Thurman was just arriving.

So, as sometimes happens, you brush up against a story only realizing later what was actually going on.

An example from earlier in my news career: Vanessa Williams, now known as a soul singer and actress on Ugly Betty, was the first black Miss America, a big deal in July 1984. I was a young radio reporter in my first year at KARN, and was sent to cover a personal appearance by Miss Williams at a store (I want to say it was a Wal-Mart) on Geyer Springs Road. She was there promoting some beauty product, as I recall. Along with a gaggle of other reporters, I asked a couple of inane questions, we got our quotes/photos and headed back to our respective newsrooms.

An hour later, I hear a CBS radio newscast saying that Penthouse publisher Bob Gucione had bought nude photos of the lovely Vanessa and was planning to print them in the September '84 issue of his magazine. Knowing she was in town, the local press sprung into action, but Miss America was quickly and quietly whisked out of Little Rock, avoiding the press.

After several days of national controversy, Williams resigned under pressure from the Miss America organization. Her final pre-scandal appearance as Miss America was in southwest Little Rock.

So, there you have it... sometimes you miss a story by thaaaat much.

Hey, y'all, let's "go hot-tubbing!"

2010-03-12T15:28:00.005-06:00

Have you seen this bizarro story out of Utah?

I've covered lots of Arkansas legislative sessions and watched a bunch of crazy parade by in my days as a reporter, but this story (in the Mormon Church-owned Deseret News), takes the crazy cake.

It seems Utah House Majority Leader Kevin Garn took the occasion of the closing of a session to announce to his colleagues and the world that he "went hot-tubbing"(?) with a nekked 15-year-old girl when he was a 28-year-old record company owner (riiigghhttt...)

Now the girl claims he lied about not having any contact with her in the hot tub, and the paper reports Garn may have broken election laws by not reporting $150,000 in hush money paid to the woman.

Delicious.

Here's video of Garn's strange, tearful confession and the surprising reaction of his colleagues (mostly long, lingering bear hugs with a few encouraging words whispered in Garn's ear).

Your colon: Tonight only on The Spirit of Arkansas

2010-03-10T19:56:00.003-06:00

I see where CBS News' Harry Smith underwent a colonoscopy on live TV this morning. Thank goodness Katie Couric was there to supervise things. (By the way, would Uncle Walter Cronkite have ever gone along with such silliness?)

This reminds me of a bizarre promotion run by KATV channel 7 back in the late 1980s. I worked for about two years in the KATV newsroom running their A-Net radio network. It was fascinating to see TV news being done up-close while still remaining apart from the operation.

As part of the station's ongoing effort to prove it cares about you, the viewer, more than the other local stations, KATV spent several months working on the issue of colon cancer.

The station aired a series of stories about people who survived cancer because of early detection, and it aired public service announcements featuring then-hot-shot anchor Greg Hurst (at left) asking that people write in for a free colo-rectal cancer screening kit. Thousands of Arkansans wrote in for the kit, which consisted of a card on which you were to smear a "stool sample." You then folded the poop-covered biohazard into an envelope and mailed it back. A lab would screen each one for any evidence of blood in the stool.

As you can imagine, there were lots of filthy jokes about this whole program among us cynical newspeople. Like don't volunteer to help Greg answer his fan mail. Ha.

One post script: Though at the time we laughed at Hurst's willingness to go along with this sort of pseudo-journalistic activity, the pretty-boy anchor ended up at WABC in New York City from 1989 to 1997. He currently anchors for KHOU in Houston, Texas.

Stay classy, Houston.

Another reason to love HDTV, BluRay and Netflix

2010-03-10T19:33:00.009-06:00

When I go to the movies, nothing bothers me more than to be taken out of the immersive, big-screen experience by the noisy behavior of other patrons. And no interruption is more annoying than to listen to someone answer a ringing cell phone with, "Yeah, I'm at the movie. Yes, we're watching Wolfman, but it's not very good right now... so did you and Jeremy decide where to go for dinner?..."

On more than one occasion I have asked somebody to take their conversation outside, but after this story out of the Los Angeles area I may think twice:

A man is recovering from being stabbed in the neck with a meat thermometer after asking a woman to silence her cell phone in a movie theater, a sheriff's department official said.

Just think, an angry Arkansas movie patron is likely to be armed with something decidely more deadly than a kitchen gadget.

Another film critic bites the dust

2010-03-09T10:37:00.004-06:00

Says here that Variety, the venerable Bible of show business, is joining with print publications nationwide in laying off film critics.

The evisceration of Variety continues.

On Monday, the trade let go chief film critic Todd McCarthy and chief theater critic David Rooney. Longtime film critic Derek Elley also was cut, as was features editor/indie film reporter Sharon Swart, along with several copy and design desk employees.

In a memo to Variety staff, the trade's group editor, Tim Gray, said all three critics have been asked to work as freelancers for the moribund trade.

However, McCarthy told TheWrap he has made no such arrangement, at least not yet.

"It’s sad,” McCarthy said. “It’s the end of something. You can say it’s the end, or you can say it’s the end of the way it’s always been done.”

Reaction from the film community was characterized by shock and dismay, with Roger Ebert tweeting, "Variety fires Todd McCarthy and I cancel my subscription. He was my reason to read the paper. RIP, schmucks."

Still, in his memo, Gray insisted, "Today's changes won't be noticed by readers. Our goal is the same: To maintain, or improve, our quality coverage."
We are lucky to have Philip Martin and the Dem-Gaz Movie section each Friday, albeit thinner than it was a few years ago. Let's hope the paper doesn't see that as the next place that needs cutting.

The name wizard

2010-03-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

This website features a cool toy that lets you type in your name or that of anyone else and see how popular that name was the year you were born and every year since.

It seems Ron (Ronald) was the 10th most popular boys name in the 1940s, the 15th most popular in the '50s (I was born in 1959), but was the 308th most popular in 2008.

My mom's name is Norma, a name that peaked at #28 in the 1930s. Her sisters Thelma, Doris and Sybil all had names that were popular when they were born, but sound rather old fashioned today.

Fascinating stuff.

Oscar outcome

2010-03-08T17:27:00.000-06:00

I was 5 of 6 for the top awards at last night's Oscars. Sandra Bullock's shocking Best Actress win threw my predictions all out of whack. I also missed both screenplay picks, both documentaries, both short subjects, best foreign film, cinematography, sound editing and film editing. Ouch.

Otherwise, the night's big news was the groundbreaking win by Kathryn Bigelow for Best Picture and Best Director for the excellent but little-seen The Hurt Locker. Many people now know Bigelow as the first woman to win a directing Oscar and the ex-wife of James Cameron.

But you may not know that the 58-year-old Bigelow has a long list of credits prior to this year's award-winner.

Let's start with Near Dark, a 1987 roadhouse-meets-vampire film that has become a cult classic. Adrian Pasdar, Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton star.

Another Bigelow action film is Point Break, the 1991 feature starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Best known for some amazing surfing and sky-diving sequences, the movie also features one of the best hand-held, first-person chases I've ever seen.

A couple of Bigelow films I have yet to watch include Strange Days, a 1995 science fiction feature written by James Cameron and starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett. Roger Ebert gives the movie four stars, and I am now trying to find the time to watch my DVD from Netflix.

And K-19:The Widowmaker (2002) is Bigelow's latest feature before tackling The Hurt Locker. The submarine drama stars Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson and is next in my Netflix cue.

What's next for Bigelow? This story says she is to direct the pilot for a new HBO series billed as a light family drama. Then she returns to the grittier side of life with a feature about a lawless region in South America known as the Triple Frontier.

My Oscar picks

2010-03-06T23:08:00.010-06:00

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will hopefully bring a little improvisatory comic energy to the Oscar telecast Sunday night. The show's producers are promising a hipper, faster-paced show this year. Among other things, this story says...

Ditching the five best song nominees was one of the first and most controversial moves the producers made. But, as Shankman sees it, stopping the telecast in its tracks to stage a song only because it is a nominee is neither "organic" nor "comfortable."
The Rock Candy Blog over at the Arkansas Times website is conducting a little Oscar prediction contest with some very real prizes: free tickets to the Rave theater on Col. Glenn Road. I could have used them this afternoon when I spent $10.75 to see Tim Burton's oddly-flat 3D version of Alice in Wonderland.

So, what the heck, I filled out an entry form and emailed it to the Times' Oscar Pool contest. My predictions are as random as anybody else's since nobody has seen the live-action, animated or documentary short subjects.

Here's my entry form (the numbers indicate points available in each category in the Arkansas Times contest):

Best Picture (5)
The Hurt Locker

Best Director (5)
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Best Actor (4)
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Best Actress (4)
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Best Supporting Actor (3)
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress (3)
Mo'Nique, Precious

Best Adapted Screenplay (3)
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay (3)
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Animated Film (3)
Up

Best Foreign Film (4)
The White Ribbon

Best Art Direction (3)
Avatar

Best Cinematography (3)
The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Mixing (2)
The Hurt Locker

Best Sound Editing (2)
Avatar

Best Original Score (2)
Up, Michael Giacchino

Best Original Song (2)
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from Crazy Heart, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Costume Design (2)
The Young Victoria

Best Documentary Feature (3)
Food, Inc.

Best Documentary Short (2)
China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province

Best Film Editing (2)
Avatar

Best Makeup (1)
Star Trek

Best Animated Short Film (1)
French Roast

Best Live-Action Short Film (1)
Instead of Abracadabra

Best Visual Effects (1)
Avatar

Sarah Palin and the laugh track

2010-03-05T22:53:00.005-06:00

So when former GOPVP nominee Sarah P. was on the Tonight Show this week, Leno interviewed her, then she did a brief bit that was widely described as a stand-up comedy routine.

Check it out here, then read on...

Now, there are reports that the laughter to her really lame jokes was "sweetened." NBC denies any enhancement took place.

Watch and you be the judge.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Palin and posse went full Hollywood and loaded up on expensive goodies at an Oscar gift suite.

And, while I'm at it... Sarah's Adventures in La La Land also featured a visit with TV network execs to pitch a reality show about her wacky life in rugged Alaska.

Oscar madness

2010-03-05T20:07:00.012-06:00

With the big awards show set for Sunday night, I guess I might as well chime in on the Oscars.

I wrote last month about The Blind Side, a Best Picture nominee I simply can't believe anyone would seriously consider Oscar-caliber material. But some are saying we might expect a surprise winner this year because of the new voting formula in the Best Picture category.

This WSJ article sums up my thoughts about the prospect of the new system of voting possibly resulting in an unthinkable Oscar upset:

Which wrist to slit first if "The Blind Side" wins?
Of the two favorites, Avatar and The Hurt Locker, I prefer the latter. But my favorite films of the year were quite different from the nominees. Oscar candidates that I did NOT include in my top 10 are Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, Precious and Up. Of those, the only one I might consider adding to my list is District 9, excellent on a second viewing on Blu-ray the other night.

As for Up, I agree with this critic that the best part of that animated feature is the amazing montage near the start of the movie. It makes you laugh, cry, breaks your heart... all in just over 4 minutes. Too bad the rest of the film is so pedestrian. Here is that brilliant, heartbreaking sequence. The score by Michael Giacchino should win him an Oscar Sunday night. I'll be watching.

Diane Rehm visits KUAR newsroom

2010-03-05T15:08:00.012-06:00

Work was fun today.

NPR talk show host Diane Rehm (9-11am weekdays on FM 89 KUAR) spoke last night at a public radio fundraiser, then stopped by the stations this morning to visit with staff and take a look around.

She was more than gracious during her interactions with listeners last night and with us radio types today. An extremely smart, generous, thoughtful woman.

Here are some pics:

Diane with (from left) Michael Hibblen, William Wagner, Mary Waldo and Ben Fry.

Meeting Kelly MacNeil.

Nathan Vandiver chats with Diane.

Sharing a laugh with the FM 89 staff.

Diane shows off her Ferragamo boots.

Diane, finally!

2010-03-04T22:35:00.004-06:00

Finally, after two earlier cancellations, Diane Rehm made it to Little Rock this evening for the KUAR/KLRE tower campaign fundraiser.

The popular host of NPR's daily talk show attended a champagne reception, then spoke to about 250 people at a dinner at the Embassy Suites hotel. She discussed the mishap (a broken pelvis) that forced cancellation of her appearance last fall, then the snow storm that forced postponement of a February appearance.

Public radio manager Ben Fry told the crowd that the stations need a total of $200K to move our antennaes to a taller tower on Shinall Mountain, of which about $80K has now been raised thanks to those at tonight's events and earlier gifts.

That means we still need a lot o' money to make the move, which should improve reception for both stations AND save us money on monthly power bills.

Thanks to all who came out tonight, and thanks to Diane for her help in our fundraising.

Blanche TV

2010-03-04T13:26:00.004-06:00

Senator Blanche Lincoln is out with her first TV ad of the campaign season... she has raised $5-million, so she's got plenty of money to air this a lot.

Sounds like the "one tough lady" is trying to position herself as the outsider who fought for Arkansas and "against more money for Wall Street, against the auto company bailout, against the public option health care plan, and against the cap and trade bill."

Gorillaz Stylo video rocks

2010-03-02T23:21:00.005-06:00

Brand new music video from Gorillaz... it's called Stylo from the new album Plastic Beach shipping next Tuesday, March 9th.

The song features Bobby Womack and Mos Def while the cool video features 3D versions of the cartoon Gorillaz band members (seen above), one of whom just happens to be named 2D, AND a cameo by Bruce "The Return of Bruno" Willis.

Watch the video in HD here.

Halter, Keet file

2010-03-02T17:09:00.005-06:00

Bill Halter officially filed for U.S. Senate today. He'll challenge incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln from the left.

Also filing today was Jim Keet, the Republican who'll take on the insanely popular Gov. Mike Beebe. The Arkansas Times blog reports that Keet carried along a copy of Barack Obama's book The Audacity of Hope. Huh?

As for Halter, reporters had lots of questions for the Lt. Governor after he filled out his paperwork at the capitol. John Brummett writes extensively about the exchange on his blog, then concludes:

This is the most thoroughly nationalized race in Arkansas political history. This is a national war between the Democratic left and the Democratic center, and there is no other Senate Democratic centrist up for re-election this time for punishing by the left. Well, Arlen Specter, maybe. So Halter has been seduced into the race by out-of-state liberal groups wanting to punish Lincoln for opposing the public option, card check and cap and trade. So he is trying to intimate his support for those (except card check itself, which is off the table) without saying so outright for fear of galvanizing business and farm opposition in conservative Arkansas.

Meanwhile, Halter has released his first TV ad of the campaign. Is anyone else troubled by the prominent role NLR High School plays in the spot? One wonders how much money changed hands to make that happen.

Ebert on Oprah

2010-03-02T16:24:00.008-06:00

Just watched Roger and Chaz Ebert on Oprah this afternoon. Nice profile of the film critic... The show gave a real taste of what everyday life is like for the ailing Ebert.

And Roger got to unveil his new computer voice based on his own now-lost voice... he used the new voice to list his Oscar predictions.

More reaction here to the Esquire profile of Ebert and all the hoopla since.

That's Roger on the right in the photo above of the Siskel and Ebert team on their long-running TV review series. Gene died from a brain tumor in February 1999.

These two guys didn't get along very well off air, but were smart enough to realize that the tension between them was a key element that made for good TV.

This compilation of outtakes is for adults only.

CNN anchor needs remedial help in geography, the metric system

2010-03-02T15:29:00.004-06:00

None of us can be sure of what siliness will come out of our mouths on live TV or radio, but this is a classic.

Last night on The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart made merciless fun of CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, described in this segment as "reporting on the tsunami warning the way a coked-up guy at a party would explain the strength of ants."

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Uninformant

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

Is The Hurt Locker inauthentic?

2010-03-01T20:57:00.007-06:00

Tomorrow is the last day for Academy members to vote on this year's Oscars, and it's interesting to note that both The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times published stories this final weekend attacking the movie as inaccurately portraying the experience of combat veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Until now, The Hurt Locker has been notable for the near-absence of any political controversy, particularly strange for a movie about a war that is still going on. The film is not explicitly anti-war, nor does it take an overt position on George Bush's move into Iraq.

Is it a coincidence that two papers on opposite coasts mount such similar stories just days before votes are due in an Oscar race in which The Hurt Locker has emerged as a favorite?

What do you think? Is the movie pro- or anti-war, pro- or anti-military?

WM3 featured on CBS 48 Hours

2010-03-01T20:46:00.003-06:00

The West Memphis Three case was featured this weekend on CBS News' 48 Hours Mystery.

Those of us in Arkansas who have been following the case for 17 years won't find a lot of new material here. The film draws on some of the trial footage that was used in the influential HBO Paradise Lost documentaries. But the show also carries the case forward. It includes new interviews with Damien Echols, his wife, defense attorneys (then and now) and celebrity supporter Johnny Depp.

I wonder if Gov. Beebe watched this show? Or has watched the HBO films? Or read Mara Leveritt's fine book about the case? Several years ago, when the WM3 case was making news, I inquired if Gov. Huckabee had ever watched the films or read the book that inspire so many impassioned letters to the Arkansas governor's office. The answer was no.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Lincoln, Boozman file, Halter on deck

2010-03-01T18:43:00.011-06:00

The first day of the 2010 political filing period at the capitol, the big news was made by the man who wasn't there: Bill Halter.

The Lt. Governor announced via email and YouTube video at 6:00 a.m. that he would be running against fellow Democrat Blanche Lincoln in the party's May 18th primary for U.S. Senate. Halter officially files tomorrow, but his decision overshadowed other events in the capitol rotunda. You can check out my story on the filing period opening here. Oaklawn's Terry Wallace was on hand to open the period with his signature "and they're off!" race call.

Some observations: Halter or his press people were smart in their timing of his announcement. By releasing his decision via email Monday morning, they effectively trumped the plans of Sen. Lincoln and Rep. Boozman, both of whom were asked repeatedly about Halter's move as they filed at the capitol. Then, Halter gets a second round of coverage when he emerges from hiding tomorrow to officially file.

The liberal media are mighty excited about Halter's decision, MoveOn.org called it "huge news." The Ed Show on MSNBC led with the news, and featured an interview with Arkansas Times editor Max Brantley (good job Max), who said Arkansas libs are upset with Lincoln, but then rightly pointed out that there aren't that many of them. Daily Kos has begun raising money for Halter's campaign. Halter is to appear on MSNBC's Ed Show tomorrow and on Rachel Maddow on Wednesday.

I notice that in her speech to supporters today, Lincoln said "We're not givin' up to extremism." At the capitol, asked about the prospect of facing Halter, she said "I don't associate with the extremes." I asked if that meant she considers Halter extreme, but she said she didn't know enough about his positions to say. Pressed by the AP's Andrew DeMillo, Lincoln would not even characterize MoveOn.org or other groups supporting Halter as extreme. Very smart politics... she gets to brand her opponent as extreme without actually coming right out and saying it.

Should be an interesting week. (Filing period closes @ noon Monday, March 8th.

Halter takes the plunge

2010-03-01T11:04:00.005-06:00

Lt. Governor Bill Halter, who shook up the Arkansas political world in 2006 by challenging Mike Beebe for governor before moving to the Lite Gov race, is doing it again.

Halter announced this morning on his website that he will be a candidate for U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Blanche Lincoln in the Democratic primary.

I'm heading out now to cover the filing period opening at noon today at the state capitol. Lincoln is expected to be there, giving us our first reaction to the Halter news. He is filing on Tuesday.

Ebert does Oprah... and talks!

2010-02-28T20:08:00.006-06:00

If you didn't read my earlier entry about Roger Ebert's struggle with severe health problems, let me again recommend the Esquire profile of the Pulitzer-winning movie critic. Ebert has had a series of surgeries that have left him without a lower jaw, and without the ability to eat, drink or speak. Until now.

The Esquire article talks about Ebert's effort to speak again using a computer voice fashioned from the hours of his voice recorded for movie commentaries. Now, Ebert is set to unveil the new voice this week on Oprah. The special edition of Oprah previewing the March 7th Academy Awards will air at 4:00 (actually about 3:57) this Tuesday afternoon on KATV 7.

Meanwhile, Ebert continues to review the movies... this weekend the prolific critic reviews five new releases, plus writes a new Great Movies essay on Pink Floyd's The Wall. If you love the movies, and literate, thoughtful discussion of them, bookmark this website and visit frequently.

Jim Keet says he's "in this to win"

2010-02-26T16:20:00.016-06:00

2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Keet says he's no sacrificial lamb.

In this interview I did today with the Little Rock businessman and former state lawmaker, Keet notes that he flew a "Kamikaze mission" when he ran as the GOP nominee against Congressman Ray Thornton in 1990, and he doesn't plan to do so again. That despite the fact that the Democratic incumbent Mike Beebe has a current approval rating north of 80 percent and has several key Republican political operatives donating to his campaign.

Keet tells FM 89 News he'll announce full details of his plan in the next few weeks, but he's advocating a complete revision of the Arkansas tax code. He wants to "throw the tax code out" but Keet says he's NOT endorsing the flat tax idea. Instead, Keet wants to cut capital gains and income taxes to spur additional investment and the creation of new jobs in the state.

Keet says he called Governor Beebe, with whom he once served in the Arkansas Senate, and they've agreed to have a campaign based on a productive discussion of the issues.

-------

UPDATE: The Republican Party of Arkansas distributed this image by email tonight, identifying it as Keet's "official photo." Earlier today, the image above was the only Keet photo I could find with a Google search.

Cheese dip as religion

2010-02-25T18:42:00.008-06:00

Little Rock lawyer and filmmaker Nick Rogers tries to get to the bottom of the peculiar relationship Arkansans have with a spicy concoction known as cheese dip.

I lived in upstate New York some years ago, and one of the things I missed the most about Arkansas was cheese dip. After much searching, I found the needed ingredients (Velveeta is everywhere, but a 50-cent can of Rotel cost me 3-dollars at a gourmet grocery in Syracuse) and made my first batch of the good stuff in months. Not only was it a gut-warming taste of home, but cheese dip was also a huge hit with every Yankee who gave it a try.

So break out the good stuff (no Frito-Lay canned product please) and watch this cool little 20 minute movie.

So, who makes your favorite cheese dip? I think I'm still partial to the old-school Blue Mesa-style white dip served at Juanitas. Your recommendations?

Alison Bechdel's Fun Home

2010-02-25T17:46:00.002-06:00

I'm a big fan of what you might call literary comics or graphic novels. No, I don't mean superhero stories. I'm talking about modern comics that are more related to the underground comics of the 60s and 70s than the DC or Marvel books of our childhood.

In time, I plan to discuss many of my personal favorites, like Dan Clowes' Ghost World, Art Spiegelman's Maus, and Paul Hornschemeier's Mother Come Home. But today I want to talk about a fine book I have just finished reading.

Alison Bechdel is a 49 year old Pennsylvania cartoonist best known for the long-running strip Dykes To Watch Out For. In her 2006 memoir Fun Home, Bechdel describes her teenage discovery that she is a lesbian and that her father was a closeted homosexual. Fun Home is brutally honest, funny, confessional, heartbreaking. A great introduction to the art of telling an adult story with words and pictures. I checked the book out of CALS, but it's available for $10 from Amazon. You can read a few pages at the link above.

Click this image to enlarge:

Here's a little video of Bechdel at work:

If you haven't read a literary comic, I beg you to give this genre a try. It's hard to explain, but the experience of reading a really good one is a profound discovery, like the first time you saw a really good movie and realized they could be more than Adam Sandler and Sly Stallone. Finding one or more of the books mentioned above at your local library would be a good place to start.

Ain't nobody here but us poets

2010-02-24T17:19:00.000-06:00

This website is strange and fun.

Sort of an interactive web-based poem. Sort of.

Just click on stuff and see what happens. You may eventually find yourself looking at strange dream imagery like this:

Enjoy.

Roger Ebert faces death at the movies

2010-02-23T23:41:00.009-06:00

The only film critic ever to win a Pulitzer Prize, and for my money the best writing today, is Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times.

Ebert continues to write prolifically, but you may have noticed that his long-running TV show is no more, and he doesn't even appear on Leno or The View to discuss the Oscars these days. That's becauase Roger has had a series of serious health problems in recent years.

Today, Ebert cannot eat, drink or talk, but he writes on. There's an excellent profile of Ebert in the latest Esquire magazine. That's a picture of him above.

The man appears to be facing death with grace and wisdom. From the article:

Ebert is dying in increments, and he is aware of it.

"I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear, he writes in a journal entry titled "Go Gently into That Good Night." I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can't say it wasn't interesting. My lifetime's memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris. "

There has been no death-row conversion. He has not found God. He has been beaten in some ways. But his other senses have picked up since he lost his sense of taste. He has tuned better into life. Some things aren't as important as they once were; some things are more important than ever. He has built for himself a new kind of universe. Roger Ebert is no mystic, but he knows things we don't know.

"I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."

Hear, hear.

Police seek cartoon character in robbery, shooting

2010-02-23T23:01:00.008-06:00

Not sure how many of these could possibly be real, but entertaining nonetheless.

The Mighty Boosh: Absurdist comedy at its best

2010-02-22T17:27:00.012-06:00

How does one begin to explain The Mighty Boosh?

The BBC comedy series has been airing late nights on Adult Swim for about a year, but I still get blank looks from most people when I mention the show. I'd like to change that because the Boosh is brilliant, surreal, silly and uplifting.

The Mighty Boosh features two main characters, Vince Noir and Howard Moon, plus an assortment of supporting figures, including a talking gorilla and a shaman. British comics Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding created the show and write each episode. They also star as Noir and Moon, plus dozens of other characters.

The Boosh is sort of like an R-rated version of H.R. Pufnstuf or another of those Sid and Marty Kroft kids shows from the 1970s. Anything goes... each show features a musical number, sometimes a cartoon, crazy costumes and lots more.

I first discovered this show a few months ago, and must say I didn't "get it" right away. But after watching several episodes and rewatching a couple of favorites it clicked. I think one key to the show's success is its essential good heartedness. There's not a mean-spirited moment in the entire series.

All three seasons (20 episodes) are available on DVD through Netflix and the Central Arkansas Library System. You can also watch clips of the show and even one full episode here at the Adult Swim website.

Here's a short animated segment to give you a taste:

Give the Boosh a try, and before long you'll be crimping with the best of 'em:

New book looks at Nolan Richardson's legacy

2010-02-19T18:29:00.012-06:00

I just finished reading an excellent new book about former Razorback basketball coach Nolan Richardson. It's called Forty Minutes of Hell, named after Nolan's up-tempo style of play. (You can read the first chapter at amazon.com by clicking the link.)

Author Rus Bradburd says Nolan is the most important black coach in U.S. history. In this story to air Monday on KUAR, Bradburd compares Richardson's importance to that of boxer Muhammad Ali. They kicked down doors, he says, for more recent figures like Barack Obama, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

The book alternates between telling the story of Nolan's upbringing as the only black kid in the Mexican neighborhoods of El Paso, Texas and the history of Arkansas's strained race relations, particularly Frank Broyles' excruciatingly slow integration of Razorback athletics. Broyles refused to talk with the author, and he comes off looking pretty bad. So does the state of Arkansas.

For Arkansans who have wondered why a UA coach making a million dollars a year would complain about his situation, the book clearly explains how Nolan's unique experiences in the Jim Crow south shaped his attitudes. Fascinating stuff.

Coach Richardson will be reading from the book and signing copies on the afternoon of Saturday, February 27 at Pyramid Books and Art on Wright Avenue in Little Rock.

Bradburd will appear in LR this April as part of the Arkansas Literary Festival.

Film officials decide to talk

2010-02-18T16:13:00.005-06:00

The Benton Courier is now reporting on the Hank Williams movie.

And local TV has been on the set in Benton today shooting stories to air tonight.

After my blog post on Tuesday and a KUAR story Wednesday in which I reported that Arkansas Film Commissioner Christopher Crane would not discuss the movie project, Crane was apparantly swamped by other reporters wanting details. That prompted him to request permission to discuss the film with local media, which he recieved last night.

First thing this morning, Crane was on the phone calling to provide me with further detials, though not too many. He confirms Harry Thomason is directing and shooting will last about three weeks in Little Rock, Benton and elsewhere in central Arkansas. He says the movie will have a theatrical release in about a year.

We still don't know the budget for the project or which studio will release the movie.

Crane also would not confirm that former child star Henry Thomas is playing Hank Williams, though reporters visiting the set today would obviously be able to determine that fact.

Anyway, I am thankful the story on this project is finally getting out. As I say below, the best way to promote Arkansas as a filmmaking destination is to openly talk about it as such.

Hank Williams film shoot begins in Arkansas

2010-02-16T17:44:00.020-06:00

It's been rumored for weeks, nay months, and now it's underway.

A sort-of biopic of country singer/songwriter Hank Williams is now shooting in central Arkansas. The shoot began today.

The movie is tentatively called The Last Ride, and will focus on the final week or so of Williams' life, including his death of a heart attack while riding to a gig in the back seat of a Cadillac.

There has been no official announcement of the project by the Arkansas Film Commission, but it did send out the following casting call email today:

Christopher Crane
Film Commissioner
ccrane@arkansasedc.com
Economic Development Commission
(501) 682-7326 Fax 501.682.3456 Cell 501.902.9283 Arkansasedc.com
One Capitol Mall Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

hey friends....need extras, see below, please pass the word!

MOVIE EXTRAS NEEDED FOR FEATURE FILM.

The Last Ride, based on a true story of a famous country western legend, will be filming scenes in Central Arkansas through the end of February.

We are not at liberty to announce the lead actors yet, however they are well known ,and you might get to work with them!

We need several extras, stand-ins and photo doubles to work various days beginning Tuesday, February 16th.

Seeking: Older men and women, males and females, middle age, younger and a few teens. All scenes are in rural areas of the south, thus we are seeking REAL faces - farmers, honky tonk folk, plate lunch diners, coal miners, etc......

Rate of pay varies, with a 75.00 minimum. Some of the cast may be needed more than one day.

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Those interested should send the following stats to the casting dept. filmARcasting@gmail.com (not case sensitive):

name
age
phone, cell, msg number, email address, any and all contact numbers please!
height
weight
eye, hair coloring
any 1950's wardrobe?

Also, please attach a current snapshot or digital picture to your email. If you have film or theatre experience, feel free to attach a resume or just highlight your experience in an email application!

Casting begins immediately. Please help get word out to friends and associates - just forward this email! You may not hear back immediately, as casting is a work in progress and will be on-going through the end of the month.

Again, help pass the word, ARKANSAS NEEDS TO MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION on this director…..part of which will be accomplished by providing him with wonderful Arkansan's to fill his requests! Pass email ASAP!

Thank you in advance!!!!!

Casting Department
The Last Ride

No phone calls
please. Email correspondence only.
We will respond as time permits.
Thank you in Advance and hope to see you in the movies.

Again, there has been no official word of this project from the Film Commission or anyone else, but sources tell me Arkansas native Harry Thomason is directing.

Thomason last directed a feature film in 2004, and that was the documentary The Hunting of the President. His last movie with actors, sets and a script was in 1979. That's the year he directed no less than two narrative features, The Day It Came to Earth, and Revenge of Bigfoot. Since then, he has directed lots of TV, mainly his own shows Designing Women, Evening Shade and Hearts Afire.

No word on the film's budget or what sort of release the movie will get.

Work on this project has been underway for a while. This report from a Knoxville, Tennessee area blog says Thomason worked with local vintage car owners there to shoot footage of a baby-blue 1953 Caddy and other old autos around the first of the year.

Two things about the casting notice above: First, the "well known... lead actors" mentioned are not Brangelina level talent, but one name I've heard is a former child actor currently starring in a big theatrical release. (Sorry, I can't name names cause my source won 't let me.)

As for the need for Arkansas to "make a great impression" on the director, well Thomason is from here, knows the place well, so it's not like we're trying to impress Speilberg, but, hey, we DO need to make a good impression in terms of the state's ability to mount a major film production.

-------

It's funny. Covering Arkansas news for many years now, I've noticed a pattern: when a film project like this comes to town, NO ONE will talk about it. I've had Chris Crane, the state film commissioner, and his predecessor Joe Glass tell me repeatedly that producers and state officials are worried that over-zealous fans and lookie-loos will swarm a shooting location and make work difficult.

But I've always argued that the best way to promote Arkansas as a movie-making location is to talk about it as such. You don't have to say "Billy Bob Thornton will be at the Lonoke County courthouse square from noon until 7:00 p.m today." You can just say something like: "A $12-million film about the life of Louis Jordan is being shot at various locations in Pulaski and Lonoke Counties over the next six weeks. The movie is being directed by Frank Capra and stars Chris Rock, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The film is slated to air on HBO this September."

Now would a press release like that really cause anybody any problems?

How to do a TV news report

2010-02-13T19:55:00.006-06:00

This BBC report perfectly sums up the formula for much of the reporting you see on local and even network TV. Watch for an appearance by Dowdy Kitchen Man. My hero.

Seeing this reminds me to avoid the sort of formulaic storytelling that can pop up on radio as well.

Movie trailers at bottom of this page

2010-02-11T23:11:00.006-06:00

Hey gang. Some of you have no doubt noticed that the little news and weather widgets in the right hand column of this page have changed from time to time as I have learned what works and what doesn't here in the blogosphere.

I have now discovered a particularly cool little tool I've placed at the bottom of this page. It's a widget displaying the most recent movie trailers from Hulu. When you click on one, it opens in a little javascript window without you ever having to leave my site. You can even go full screen from right on this page.

What's more, you can search for something like LOST or 30 Rock or The Simpsons and it will load up the most recent full-length episodes. There are even full length movies. Try watching the Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona.

Enjoy.

Jon Stewart as Glenn Beck: The 11/3 Project

2010-02-11T17:15:00.008-06:00

I know I'm months late, but Jon Stewart in full Glenn Beck mode is a priceless 8 minute segment of The Daily Show.

Even if you haven't watched much of Glenn Beck you'll get a giggle out of this.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The 11/3 Project

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

9-11 photos show new perspective on tragedy

2010-02-10T22:27:00.005-06:00

Some dramatic new photos have now been released that are sure to fuel more 9-11 conspiracy theories.

These are pictures taken from NYPD helicopters hovering over the scene, the first shots we've seen from above of the twin towers collapsing and sending plumes of smoke billowing through lower Manhattan.

The pics are a result of a FOIA request filed by ABC News.

Oscar voting algebra

2010-02-10T20:00:00.011-06:00

Very interesting analysis piece in the New Yorker about the Oscar nominations.

In addition to expanding the best picture nominees from five to ten this year, there's been a big change in the way votes are cast for the top award. In the past, members voted for their favorite picture, and the nominee with the most votes won. Not so starting this year. Who knew you would need a degree in higher mathematics to understand the rules:

Members—there are around fifty-eight hundred of them—are being asked to rank their choices from one to ten. In the unlikely event that a picture gets an outright majority of first-choice votes, the counting’s over. If not, the last-place finisher is dropped and its voters’ second choices are distributed among the movies still in the running. If there’s still no majority, the second-to-last-place finisher gets eliminated, and its voters’ second (or third) choices are counted. And so on, until one of the nominees goes over fifty per cent.

The story also says the two frontrunners are Avatar and Hurt Locker, and it makes the case for why the Hurt Locker might actually win. Bottom line: most everyone likes it and a vote for this little war drama is a vote for the first woman (Kathryn Bigelow) to direct a best picture winner.

Arrrrrggggghh!!!

2010-02-10T15:54:00.005-06:00

Due to the record snow storm that has paralyzed the Washington D.C. area, FM 89's Diane Rehm event tomorrow night has been rescheduled.

This is the second time Diane has been rendered unable to attend a fundraiser for the KUAR tower campaign. She earlier had to cancel because of a fall and broken pelvis (ouch).

So we have rescheduled for March 4th. Hopefully third time's the charm.

Broyles event snowed out

2010-02-10T15:52:00.003-06:00

The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center event featuring Frank Broyles talking about the racial integration of Razorback athletics was cancelled today.

No word yet on if and when it can be rescheduled.

David Lynch gets animated

2010-02-10T14:41:00.005-06:00

This short animated film called When Lynch Met Lucas uses audio from an interview with the Blue Velvet/Eraserhead director describing the time he met with George Lucas about possibly directing a Star Wars film.

The filmmaker, identified on Youtube only as sciezata77, says "This was shot entirely with my iPhone 3G using the iMotion app. I take credit for the crude illustrations."

Funny stuff. One wonders what a Lynch-helmed Star Wars movie might have actually been like.

LR9 featured in the New Yorker

2010-02-10T00:47:00.003-06:00

As part of an interactive online multimedia project called The Promise, the New Yorker has posted a brief video of the Little Rock Nine. They're in the middle of the top row. It's worth watching all 17 of the tributes.

The aging civil rights pioneers were just teenagers when they braved jeering crowds to integrate Central High School in 1957. They were reunited by the magazine for a photo shoot outside the school some weeks ago.

FM 89's Michael Hibblen filed this report about the Little Rock 9 reunion.

The Onion takes on Wal-Mart

2010-02-09T18:00:00.007-06:00

The cruelly funny online humor magazine The Onion aims its big guns at that little northwest Arkansas mom-and-pop known as Wal-Mart.

In this article called "Wal-Mart Cuts Over 13,000 Of What It Calls Jobs" the retailer comes under bitter attack.

I've decided not to quote from the story here. You can read at your own risk. I'll warn you: it contains the "F" word and humor of an adult nature. Some may find it totally unfunny.

I just think it's worth a mention that one of our state's largest corporate citizens is coming under such a savage attack. Despite years of trying to improve their image and "branding," it's clear Wal-Mart still has an image problem in certain urban hipster circles.

Frank Broyles, the Razorbacks and racial integration

2010-02-09T15:11:00.008-06:00

An event scheduled for tomorrow at noon at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center as part of Black History Month observances is causing quite a stir.

Max Brantley at the Arkansas Time Blog posts a pastoral letter from Wendell Griffen raising questions about the event, which will feature former Razorback Athletic Director Frank Broyles discussing the racial integration of Arkansas sports.

When FM 89 News did a story previewing this event a week ago, we specifically asked a spokesman for the MTCC why Broyles was being honored in this way. Jajuan Johnson told us the event was the brainchild of Muskie Harris, an African-American former Razorback who was also a Republican candidate for Lt. Governor in 1990.

You may remember that Broyles coached the Hogs in the nation's last major sporting event played by two all-white teams. The picture above is of Broyles (left) and Texas coach Darrell Royal after the Longhorns' 15-14 win over the Razorbacks in 1969 for the national college football championship.

President Richard Nixon flew into Fayetteville for the historic event. Here he is at the game with (from left) Arkansas Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt, Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, U.S. Senators Fulbright and McClellan and Texas Congressman George H.W. Bush.
(I think I have these right.)

This is one of those important pictures in Arkansas history, like this one.

Oaklawn: portrait of a winner

2010-02-08T20:45:00.010-06:00

Certain acquaintances of mine were caught on video celebrating their handicapping success during the feature race Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs:

Certain other members of their party had less luck. :(

No Weiner Delight for Arkansas after all

2010-02-08T18:02:00.009-06:00

Pun-lovers are out of luck now that the state board of education has officially rejected the planned consolidation of two school districts, one near Jonesboro and the other 200 miles away near Texarkana.

Arkansas News Bureau/Stephens Media reports on today's meeting at which the vote was taken:

Officials of the Delight and Weiner districts, both of which have fallen below the state minimum of 350 students, argued state regulations allow such mergers and that technology made their distant union feasible...

The districts contended the proposed Arcadia School District would save millions of dollars and improve learning opportunities for students. But board members questioned whether the merger would serve the best interests of students and voted 7-0 to reject it.

Man ODs on pot, disrupts flight

2010-02-08T11:45:00.006-06:00

A California TV station reports on the case of a man facing a fine of $250,000 and up to 20 years in prison for interferring with a flight attendant.

According to the station website:

He told police he'd taken a double dose of his medicinal marijuana, eating two pot cookies before the flight.

Here's the full report:

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/video.

Snow stays south of the border

2010-02-08T11:31:00.004-06:00

Rather unexpectedly, the snow came to Little Rock overnight and continues at midday Monday.

Schools are closed and roads are slick, as evidenced by the first photo above.

So, DC gets two feet of snow, Arkansas gets six inches yet in Vancouver they're scrambling to truck-in snow for the winter olympics, opening in just a few days.

Obama names blizzard of '10

2010-02-07T14:42:00.004-06:00

You've doubtless heard about Snowmageddon, the historic storm that has paralyzed much of the northeast.

Airports are closed, people are trapped, but it looks like lots of fun in this video from the Washington Post. Big snowball fight on DuPont Circle.

Wes Anderson's Spiderman

2010-02-07T01:59:00.001-06:00

A funny parody:

Have Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof LOST their minds?

2010-02-06T20:05:00.004-06:00

The creators and producers of the amazing ABC TV show LOST have really got fans buzzing after airing just one episode of the final season.

"Darlton" had promised LOST's loyal audience that after five years of a series told with flashbacks then flashforwards they were going to unveil a new storytelling device for this final season, which premiered last Tuesday. The show featured two seemingly alternate and parallel versions of reality. Now, the ABC LOST website has up a page explaining the phenomenon as a flashsideways.

I know this all sounds a little nutty to the non-LOST fan, but as the show winds to a close in the next few months devotees like myself will be looking for the series to tie up a boatload of loose ends and explain a whole bunch of mysteries seen as key to the show's mythology. So for the writers to seemingly introduce a deeply complicating plot device was shocking to say the least.

LOST, the TV series airing on Tuesday night's this season, is just one part of a larger fan experience:

I begin the experience of each episode with a "pre-hash" audio podcast released two or three days before each new show and available free through iTunes. Carlton and Damon talk about what happened last week and what we can expect in the next episode. They read and sometimes answer questions submitted by fans. They definitely prompt you to notice something you wouldn't otherwise, or wouldn't consider significant at least.

Then, after watching the show on ABC, I go to Mac Slocum's great LOST blog. He writes a fully cross referenced episode recap, post usually four hours or so after the show airs. Mac's blog entries are well organized, insightful and funny as hell. Then an incredible community of fans discusses the show's minute details and the potential meaning of it all. (Link to this blog lives always in the list at right.)

I then try to watch each episode a second time before the next one rolls around. ABC knows LOST fans like to do this, and has in past years even run a pop-up-video-version of last week's episode just before this week's new one. The so-called enhanced and non-enhanced versions of each episode are also available to watch anytime for free at abc.com

The judge was no drudge

2010-02-05T15:59:00.004-06:00

Strange little item in this week's Arkansas Times.

On page three, the Insider item "We Get Letters" details the discovery of dozens of letters from probationers to now-disgraced and removed Pulaski County Circuit Judge Willard Proctor.

One in particular conjures up images of unusual role playing games and who-knows-what:

One of the strangest letters is a three-page missive from a probationer who was locked up in the Pulaski County Detention Center. After telling the judge twice that he loves him, the writer ends with: “You know I like when you called me Mrs. President.”

And the judge liked it when the probationer called him the Deputy Under Secretary of Morality and Clean Living.

HD local news slow in coming

2010-02-05T12:20:00.003-06:00

I just posted at kuar.org my story which aired this morning about if and when we'll get to see local TV newscasts in high def.

No, the delay is not a result of special calibration needed for HD cameras to handle the contrast issues raised by the "man with the tan" Ned Perme.

Basically, it's a matter of money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are needed to replace equipment from cameras to switchers, plus tweaks to sets and maybe even some talent.

Check out the story.

Crazy Heart opens in LR

2010-02-05T11:23:00.008-06:00

One of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2009 is finally making it to central Arkansas.

Crazy Heart, starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhall along with Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall, opens today at the Rave theater, at Col. Glenn and I-430. Showtimes 1:15, 4:20, 7:20 and 10:10.

This movie currently has a 92 rating at
Rotten Tomatoes. Bridges' performance is being touted as one of the year's best, and he's the favorite for the best actor Oscar this year.

Here's the trailer:

Can't wait to see this movie. Bridges is one of our most underrated actors, and his performance in The Big Lebowski is priceless:

Elvis and Garrison warm up a cold Arkansas night

2010-02-04T23:30:00.012-06:00

Tonight about 150 fans of A Prairie Home Companion gathered at west Little Rock's Breckenridge Village Theater for a live nationwide cinecast on the big screen.

Host Garrison Keillor and the rest of the gang brought to life all the usual features of the weekly radio show (heard on FM 89 KUAR @ 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 11:00 a.m. Sunday). The crowd heard and saw Guy Noir, Dusty and Lefty and News from Lake Wobegon.

But for me the highlight of the show was the musical guest, the legendary singer/song writer Elvis Costello. He performed five songs by my count, hammed it up with large roles in most of the major sketches and joined in the big show-ending sing-along.

It's always nice to see and visit with members of the central Arkansas public radio community. Thanks to all who came out on a cold, nasty night (though not as nasty as in St. Paul, Minnesota apparantly).

If you missed tonight's performance, there's a second chance to see it next Tuesday, February 9th. Tickets for the big-screen repeat are available here.

Here's a little video of rehearsal for tonight's program:

And just for grins, here's my favorite Elvis song (no, he didn't do this one tonight) filmed live at the Hi Tone club in Memphis in 2007.

The Blind Side: Oscar quality? Really?

2010-02-04T00:21:00.001-06:00

Mulling over the Oscar nominations announced this week I am most troubled by one entry: The Blind Side, a formulaic film some have compared to a Lifetime Movie.

I'll just say it wasn't very good.

The Blind Side has been a surprise box office hit with midwestern and southern audiences. Houston Nutt makes a cameo appearance.

The film was one of the 10 best picture nominees. Star Sandra Bullock is up for best actress.

The movie is about a upper-middle class white family in Memphis who befriend and adopt a hulking, mute black teenager. Based on a true story, the movie follows him from homelessness to the NFL, but in the end we know almost nothing about the kid, Michael Oher, because the movie is really about the fiesty Bullock character. Actor Quenton Aaron as Oher has a total of maybe 50 lines in the whole movie.

The film, especially it's contrasts with Precious, has sparked some very heated debate about race, politics and more. See here, here, and here.

Any black folks out there seen Blind Side? How many whites saw Precious?

-------

Otherwise, no major Oscar surprises. District 9's nomination for best picture makes me reconsider whether it should have been on my list of the best for '09.

It looks like Hurt Locker has a real chance at best picture, and director Kathryn Bigelow for best director. That's good.

Should be an interesting Oscar show next month with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin co-hosting.

Blanche Lincoln - Barack Obama showdown

2010-02-04T00:04:00.000-06:00

Our very own Arkansas senior senator sparred with the president today at a retreat for Senate Democrats.

Here's the C-SPAN coverage. You can watch the entire exchange beginning with Sen. Lincoln's question at about 36:45 into the file.

From The Hill:

Centrist Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) on Wednesday asked arguably the most contentious question during a discussion between Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama, hitting at conservatives and liberals.

Lincoln, who faces a tough reelection fight, asked Obama to push back against "people at the extremes" of both parties, especially against Democrats "who want extremes."

She also took a swipe at Obama's White House, referencing a constituent who "fears that there's no one in your administration that understands what it means to go to work on Monday and make a payroll on Friday."

Lincoln faces a steep reelection bid in 2010. She trails the likely Republican nominee, Rep. John Boozman, by 23 points and has only a 27 percent approval rating in a recent poll.

Obama responded by defending steps his administration has taken to right the economy and said "Moving forward, Blanche, what you're going to hear from some folks...[is that] the only way to provide stability is to go back and do what we did before the crisis."

The president reiterated that he would not return to past policies.

"If the price of certainty is for us to adopt the exact same proposals that were in place for eight years leading up to the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression...the result is going to be the same."

But Obama conceded that "Blanche is right that we sometimes get bogged down in ideology."

FOX 16, the 10:00 news and Conan O'Brien

2010-02-03T22:32:00.009-06:00

While working on another story this week, I had occasion to speak with Chuck Spohn, general manager at FOX 16... and he made a little news on the late-night-wars-front.

Now that Coco is gone from NBC, the most likely scenario I'm hearing is that he will wind up back on the air this fall on the FOX network. And it's been widely speculated that FOX would put Conan on at 11:00, 10:00 central time to get the jump on the other guys. After all, FOX does only two hours of prime-time each evening, leaving local affiliates with the 10/9c hour for local news.

While hearing that speculation, I've also noticed that FOX 16 in Little Rock just launched an additional half-hour of local news beginning at 10:00 p.m. So, I ask the big guy at 16 what he'll do if and when he's faced with a decision.

Spohn started by telling me he has no inside information, that FOX has not contacted him about his interest or willingness to air a late-night Conan show. But Spohn noted that several of the FOX/NewsCorp owned-and-operated stations also do that additional half-hour of news at 11/10c in direct competition with the ABC/CBS/NBC affiliates. He indicated that what ever happens he didn't think it would be a major crisis for FOX affiliates, and that the network would find a way to clear the show on most of its stations if it does acquire the services of Mr. O'Brien.

The other option for Conan to go directly up against Leno and Letterman would be ABC. He could bump back Nightline and Kimmel by an hour, or they could just kill Nightline outright (it's been on life support since the departure of now-NPR reporter Ted Koppel). That would raise an interesting question for KATV, channel 7 in Little Rock, which has for years delayed Nightline and Kimmel by a half hour so they can run According to Jim, and before that Everybody Loves Raymond. These bland sitcoms are syndicated fare, providing KATV with additional avails, or slots to air local commercials. The practice must be profitable, but would Dale Nicholson throw it overboard to put Conan on at 10:35 in central Arkansas?

-------

By the way, it's just this kind of local TV coverage I miss from the Little Rock newspapers. Back in the days of the old Democrat/Gazette newspaper war, each paper employed a fine TV and radio columnist who wrote about prime-time network programming, but also about format changes, the ratings and the comings-and-goings of local broadcast "talent."

Michael Storey of the current Dem-Gaz writes exclusively about national, network programming, and often it seems the paper leaves any mention of other broadcast news to the Paper Trails column. Today's item there about Spirit Trickey appearing on NBC Nightly News this Friday would more correctly be found in a full-service local TV and Radio column.

THEA Foundation

2010-02-03T22:09:00.007-06:00

I had to visit the Argenta district of downtown North Little Rock today for a meeting, so took the occasion to stop by for a visit to the THEA Foundation, catty-corner from Argenta Drug on Main Street.

My niece Sarah Mattingly recently started working there with founder David Leopoulos, who started the arts non-profit in honor of his daughter, who's love of the arts lives on after her death at age 17.

This afternoon, Sarah was helping notify the winners of college scholarships in the visual arts. I got to see some of the paintings, drawings and photographs by Arkansas high school kids, and it was a remarkable collection of work.

The THEA Foundation also awards scholarships in film and the performing arts, organizes the exhibition of big-name art in the public schools (like the Peter Max painting above) through the Art Across Arkanas program and helps provide arts supplies for teachers who would otherwise be buying stuff out of pocket.

Click here to learn more about this fine Arkansas non-profit devoted to arts education.

LR9 feature

2010-02-03T11:21:00.002-06:00

KUAR's Michael Hibblen has a nice piece up here on a recent reunion in Little Rock for the nine black students that integrated Central High back in 1957.

They were brought together for a photo shoot organized by the New Yorker. As one of them comments, they are are all getting older, some in failing health, and every time they reunite it could be the last time.

LAX one sentence review

2010-02-02T22:05:00.002-06:00

Season 6 of Lost will be confusing, but Juliet says "it worked," so I guess we're gonna be okay.

Lost episode LAX tonight at 7:00

2010-02-02T14:06:00.006-06:00

It's here! Finally, Lost fans can rejoice. Just hours until we get to see episode one of the final season on KATV and ABC.

As I said in an earlier post, I've seen the two-hour episode already, though I didn't hear much of it. Looks like another bewildering storytelling device will replace the flash backs and flash forwards of recent seasons.

Look for star Evangeline Lilly early in the episode climbing around in a tree, something the producers have said the actress does regularly. It's part of the character Kate's charm that she is fearless, and a bit of a tomboy.

Lilly's acting career outside of Lost hasn't amounted to much yet (she has a tiny role in The Hurt Locker) but she has recently started appearing in commercials for Cover Girl or some other cosmetic company, so I see her beauty hasn't been entirely lost on the entertainment industry.

I'm smitten, of course.

Jackie Brown

2010-02-02T00:03:00.000-06:00

Needing an image for the header above (the first of many I plan to rotate into that slot) I reached back to 1997's underrated Jackie Brown, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring from left to right Robert Forster, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Pam Grier, Robert DeNiro and Bridget Fonda, seen at left as the film's pothead beach bunny on a French poster for the movie.

That got me wondering, whatever became of this lovely heir to the family of cinema royalty? It seems like a long time since I've seen her in a film. Turns out she got married in 2003 to composer Danny Elfman, had a baby and retired from movies, at least for now. Fonda's other credits include Point of No Return and A Simple Plan.

Her last credit listed at IMDB was a made for TV movie in 2002.

I miss Bridget Fonda.

Here's the trailer for Jackie Brown:

Heroes of Children's Hospital

2010-02-01T21:19:00.009-06:00

The Little Rock-based Renaud Brothers have made another fine documentary. It aired on Dateline NBC Sunday night, but is now available online. The filmmakers shot at Arkansas Children's Hospital for a full year. The brothers discuss the project here:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The piece is reported by NBC chief medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman, formerly a LR physician and KATV-7 health reporter before going nationwide in the 80s. She actually "scrubs in" to go into surgery with young doctors-in-training. Here she discusses her return to Arkansas Children's Hospital to make this film.

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Here's the hour-long film itself. A warning: it includes some really emotional stuff. There's one particular moment near the end when a preemie is unplugged from life support, wrapped in a pink blanket and given to the weeping teenage parents. Tough to watch.

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Broadway Bridge historic photo

2010-02-01T16:48:00.006-06:00

Nice story in today's Democrat-Gazette by transportation reporter Noel Oman about the need to overhaul or replace the Broadway Bridge.

In working on a follow-up story today, I wanted to include this historic photo on our website and refer to it on the air as evidence of the bridge's role in the 1957 crisis. KUAR/KLRE Gen. Manager Ben Fry helped me find the photo, but we had trouble confirming my memory that it was indeed a pic of 101st Airborne troops rolling across the Broadway Bridge into Little Rock after being sent here by President Eisenhower. It turns out they had flown into LRAFB in Jacksonville, then organized at Camp Robinson in NLR before heading south into LR and history at CHS.

I called on several people to help me confirm the bridge's connection to the photo. Dr. Johanna Miller Lewis at UALR and Tim Nutt at the UA Library Special Collections Department were especially helpful.

Larry Obsitnik, the Arkansas Gazette's chief photog at the time, took this amazing shot. Note the ironic billboard. Priceless.

Glad we could include this info in my story here.

Thanks to all who helped out.

Lost leak

2010-01-31T20:58:00.009-06:00

This weekend, ABC staged an event in Hawaii to screen the season 6 Lost premiere for fans. There was a red carpet arrival followed by a few words from the producers and then a commerical-free screening of the two hour show on a beach at sundown. Wow.

A Hawaii fan was on hand to record the whole thing, and you can watch here , at least until the lawyers take it down.

The video and especially the audio are piss poor, but if you are a big fan who can't wait until Tuesday night, you can bear with it.

I just watched, and must say I'm more confused than ever. No spoilers here, but let's just say the first episode title of LAX is correct... Oceanic 815 does land in LA instead of crashing on the island. Yet it appears there are still plenty of adventures to come for our castaways on the island. Say whut?!?

Anyway, it's nice to see some of our former cast members back... the reappearance of Charlie seemed to draw a lot of cheers from the crowd.

The grocery store rant

2010-01-31T12:05:00.005-06:00

Just got back from Kroger, and I have something I need to unload (besides groceries):

I live in the Stifft Station/Capitol View neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by Markham on the north and I-630 on the south. It runs from the state capitol on the east to UAMS on the west. For years, most residents of this area have shopped at the Hillcrest Kroger, which is closing for remodling and expansion. Today, in fact, is the last day for the old store, but since the shelves have been empty for weeks I have been asking myself where to buy groceries until the neighborhood store reopens this spring.

So I ended up going way out west (for me) to the Kroger at Markham and Rodney Parham. Nice enough store, but too damn far.

This brings up the question: why don't downtown and midtown Little Rock have more grocery shopping choices? The old Skaggs/Harvest Foods in Riverdale is now closed, the few downtown area stores have a poor selection to choose from. So people from UAMS to the Quapaw Quarter are left wondering where to go to find a grocery store deli or a descent selection of meat and produce.

The Little Rock grocery market has been suffering ever since Safeway left town a decade or more ago. Harvest Foods was okay, but its prices were too high. Since HF closed, Kroger has had a near monopoly, and the freedom to jack up prices, which they have seemed to do regularly.

I think we need more competition. I'd love to see Safeway, Piggly Wiggly, Mad Butcher or even Wal-Mart's Neighborhood Market stores come to Little Rock. Even a few groceries in the promised University Avenue Target store would help.

Okay, enough ranting... now to unload the groceries and make lunch.

P.S.
I know folks living in rural areas probably don't get this. After all, they're used to driving 10 miles or more to the nearest store. But urban living is supposed to be different. I expect to be able to get a pizza delivered, to get high-speed internet service and to run to the grocery store without needing to set aside a couple of hours.

Where's Avatar?

2010-01-31T00:22:00.007-06:00

By the way, Avatar didn't make my list of the year's best (see below), but that doesn't mean it wasn't a lot of fun.

Yes, it has a preachy political message and James Cameron brings his usual ham-handedness to the script, but Avatar does have some very cool CGI effects and the most immersive, least gimmicky 3D process ever. In fact, I'd recommend any movie fan see this film in IMAX 3D before it disappears from the big screen. Watching at home, even on the best HD TV, simply can't equal the experience.

Oh, and Zoe Saldana is the real discovery among the cast of this film... the lovely young actress was also seen in the 2009 feature Star Trek as Uhura.

Top 10 Movies of 2009

2010-01-30T21:13:00.010-06:00

Here's my list of the best for the past year. Yeah, I know I'm about a month late, but at least I beat the Oscar nominations (by two days). There are still a couple of big films I haven't seen (Crazy Heart), but I have now been able to catch most of the films I wanted to see. So, without further ado... here we go in no particular order:

HURT LOCKER - Finally, one of the most underrated action directors in Hollywood, Kathryn Bigelow (Near Dark, Point Break), is getting recognized for her fine work. It's been cool watching her upstage ex-husband James Cameron (Avatar) at some of the awards shows this month. Hurt Locker, one of the best war movies ever, focuses on the work of three men in a unit that disarms roadside bombs in Iraq. Gripping stuff.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS - Quentin Tarantino's latest is a revenge fantasy in which French Jews and Jewish-American soldiers in WWII take out Hitler and the rest of the Nazi command structure. Climactic scene in a Paris cinema is something only QT could envision. Two long, talky scenes (the farmhouse and the tavern) are classic Tarantino, building the tension and suspense to a fever pitch. Don't miss.

A SERIOUS MAN - The Coen Brothers' new film is set in their home state of Minnesota like their Fargo, but this one focuses not on the Lutheran world of Garrison Keillor, but the the Coen's own Jewish culture. This movie features an opening sequence in Yiddish with subtitles. Very funny in that dark Coen Bros way. I don't think any movie has ever made me feel like more of a goy.

ZOMBIELAND - A horror movie, yes, but one with a definite attitude and lots of humor. Special guest appearance by Bill Murray makes it worth the price of a rental.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - This Spike Jonez-directed feature was a surprise treat for me this year. I didn't grow up with the book, so went into the film with no real expectations. Maybe a bit overlong, but a fine children's movie for adults. Reminded me quite a lot of The Wizard of Oz.

UP IN THE AIR - George Clooney stars in this comedy/drama about a man who has long kept emotional connections at bay, but who finally considers opening up and letting someone else into his life. His journey, culminating in a heart-breaking scene where Clooney takes a phone call while riding in an airport shuttle, proves one of our biggest movie stars is also one of our finest actors.

AN EDUCATION - A slight British romantic comedy set in the 1960s in which a 16-year old girl falls for a 30ish man. Not as creepy as it sounds. Newcomer Carey Mulligan as the teen is the best reason to see this one.

GOODBYE SOLO - A fine independent film about an odd couple of sorts. Souleymane Sy Savane stars as an immigrant cab driver who befriends a customer (played by former Elvis posse member Red West) who may or may not be suicidal. Sweet, funny, ultimately a little spiritual.

BIG FAN - Former Onion editor Robert Siegel, who wrote last year's wonderful The Wrestler, makes his directorial debut with this strange little character study. Comedian Patton Oswalt stars as a sad, middle-aged man who lives with his mom, works as a cashier in a parking garage and devotes his entire life to the NY Giants. He calls a sports-talk radio show every night to rant about the team and spends his Sunday's watching the Giants play on a tiny TV as he and a buddy tailgate in the parking lot outside the stadium (NFL tix are costly, after all). When he finally meets his favorite player in real life, things don't go as expected. A surprisingly excellent late entry on this list. I credit Terry Gross of NPR's Fresh Air (a "big fan" of this film) for hipping me to it.

MOON - Best science fiction film in years, Moon is the feature-length debut by director Duncan Jones, once known as Zowie Bowie. (Yes, he's the son of Ziggy Stardust.) Sam Rockwell is excellent as a man wrapping up a three-year solo tour on the moon, where he works for a mining company. As the time nears for his return to Earth, Rockwell's character begins to unravel. A smart, thought-provoking movie reminiscent of Kubrick's 2001. A must see. I can't believe Moon didn't make a bigger splash in 2009, and that Rockwell is not nominated for a boatload of acting awards.

Here's the trailer:

Lost returns!

2010-01-30T18:07:00.005-06:00

What better place to start a new blog than an entry about Lost, the best show in years on network TV.

The final season of this landmark series begins Tuesday night @ 7:00 on ABC, and this year we may actually get to see every episode live here in central Arkansas. In the past, Lost has aired on Wednesday nights, which meant that about two out of every three episodes were pre-empted by SEC basketball on KATV. Channel 7 taped the show and aired it late that night, after the 10:00 news, after According to Jim (or whatever other crap sitcom they aired at 10:30), after Nightline AND after Kimmel, usually around 1:00 a.m.

What was particularly irksome was that it wasn't just Razorback games, but other non-hog SEC games that 7 was contracted to air... or so they claimed. I did a story for KUAR a couple of years ago about this crazy phenomenon, and KATV program director Richard Farester said they had no choice but to air the SEC games, but the ABC station in Fort Smith/Fayetteville somehow managed to keep Lost on in primetime when there was not a hog game. Same network, same hog contract, different outcome. Hmmm...

Anyhow, as I said recently on http://www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/ (the best Lost blog out there) "I love Lost, this wonderful episode recap and discussion group, AND the producers' weekly audio podcast. Taken together, they've been the richest, most immersive television experience ever."

So, for those of us addicted to the show, just a few days of waiting left. For those of you who are not hip to Lost, well I regret to say it's probably too late to get on board now. The best advice I can offer: buy the whole series on Blu-Ray, take off work for about three weeks, lay in a supply of junk food and watch it from the beginning.

Another reason to watch: Lost star Evangeline Lilly. Here she is from a season one episode.