Jun 06 2016

HBO Will Show 2013 Film MUHAMMAD ALI’S GREATEST FIGHT

Here’s the press release. I know I want to see it.

RIP Ali. The Greatest Of All Time. My childhood hero. And I wasn’t even much of a boxing fan.

English: Bust portrait of Muhammad Ali, World ...

English: Bust portrait of Muhammad Ali, World Journal Tribune photo by Ira Rosenberg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

            HBO will remember Muhammad Ali with encore plays of the HBO Films drama MUHAMMAD ALI’S GREATEST FIGHT, which will be presented on the main HBO channel this Wednesday, June 8 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and Friday, June 10 at 8:00 p.m.

            Debuting on HBO in 2013, MUHAMMAD ALI’S GREATEST FIGHT goes behind the closed doors of the United States Supreme Court as the nine Justices – Chief Justice Warren E. Burger (Frank Langella), Hugo Black (Fritz Weaver), William O. Douglas (Harris Yulin), John Harlan II (Christopher Plummer), William Brennan Jr. (Peter Gerety), Potter Stewart (Barry Levinson), Byron White (John Bedford Lloyd), Thurgood Marshall (Danny Glover) and Harry Blackmun (Ed Begley, Jr.) – decide the outcome of Muhammad Ali’s landmark 1971 case for being a conscientious objector. Justice Harlan, a respected jurist with 15 years on the Court, finds himself at odds with the status quo after his perspective is challenged by the contemporary ideals of his new clerk (Benjamin Walker). Executive produced by Frank Doelger, Tracey Scoffield and Jonathan Cameron; directed by Stephen Frears from a script by Shawn Slovo.


Jun 21 2015

Sopranos for Fathers Day

Last year, HBO recommended an episode of The Sopranos for Fathers Day. It kinda makes sense, as long as you don’t watch it with your kids (depending on how old they are, of course).

The specific episode recommended by HBO is called “College” (Season One, Episode Five).

Sopranos on Father's Day

 

In it, Tony Soprano (played of course by the late and very great James Gandolfini) takes his daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) on a trip to visit colleges. Since this is The Sopranos, Tony gets sidetracked by some unexpected business.

It’s an early episode of the show — it first aired on February 7, 1999, according to Wikipedia —  and is very good. (Sorry! Forgot to say “spoiler alert.”) It certainly deals with father-daughter issues in a unique way, as did the show as a whole. One of the many great things about The Sopranos was seeing Tony try to be a dad while also conducting his, ahem, legitimate business dealings.

If you want to double-down on Gandolfini for Fathers Day, you can also watch the film Enough Said, which stars Mr. Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. (Catherine Keener is also terrific in a smaller role.) The two have great chemistry, and it’s a nice movie that is also parenting/dad-themed, and it has a fun twist. Here’s the trailer.

There is, of course, an extra note of sadness to the film because it is James Gandolfini’s last starring role.

You can watch The Sopranos and Enough Said via HBO Go and probably HBO Now. (I don’t have the latter and don’t want to say something that isn’t true.)

So if you’re looking for some dad-themed stuff to watch for Father’s Day, here are two solid suggestions… or perhaps we should say… DaddyTips.

Happy Father’s Day to all dads out there!


Apr 29 2014

Game Of Thrones 3-Eyed Raven Plush Is Creepy

Arguably the creepiest character in Game of Thrones is the 3-eyed raven. (Note: Game of Thrones refers to the TV show. The books are called A Song of Ice and Fire. Geek Gold Card, folks.) So naturally someone decided to make a plush toy out of the thing.

 

 Why Shop Midtown Comics • Big Savings with Advance Previews • Free Shipping on Qualified Orders • Testimonials  Game Of Thrones 3-Eyed Raven Plush

I don’t know what it is about the 3-eyed raven that creeps me out. Ravens, of course, are inherently creepy thanks to Edgar Allan Poe.

1848 Daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe at 39, a...

But this particular bird, even in the George R.R. Martin novels, gives me a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. Which is apparently the title of a song by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five. Who knew? Here it is from YouTube:

Anyway, the bird creeps me out and there’s no way I would ever buy this toy, especially not for a kid. Although I suppose this is meant as a “collectible”. But… it’s a plush toy… of a… 3-eyed raven.

I don’t know why it bothers me. But it does. I’m sorry. If you want it, here’s a link to buy it at Midtown Comics.

Game Of Thrones 3-Eyed Raven Plush – Midtown Comics.

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May 30 2012

Game of Thrones Marathon on HBO Zone

Game of Thrones Season One Blu-Ray

Hide the kids. Beginning on June 2, there will be a Game of Thrones marathon on HBO Zone.

What means this news? All nine episodes of Season 2 will be shown on HBO Zone, a sister channel to HBO. Sort of like Cersei Lannister, without all the scheming.

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Oct 24 2008

Gary Cole joins Entourage

I’m a big Gary Cole fan – ‘Brady Bunch Movie’, ‘Harvey Birdman’, et al. So the news that he’s going to appear in a three episode arc on HBO’s ‘Entourage’ makes me smile.

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