Geez…it's been since June 6!! Uhh….I took the summer off. 🙂
Well, here's what really happened (very little of it keeping up with Cher): I was mired in some day-job woes, culminating in not having a work computer for a week. My husband and I been searching for a larger place to shack-up in here in Santa Fe. Now we're packing to move into the new place we found just down the street. I had my birthday weekend at the water park in Albuquerque. Been working with some friends on sample illustrations for a book of poems and I took a new ceramics class at Santa Fe Community College. OH…and my uterus has lost its mind. Many gynecology appointments and a (normal) biopsy later, I am finding a moment to write this blog.
But the good news is….during this time Cher zine 3 has gone through its layout and we’re in the final stage of checking and soon printing. Lots of great stuff in there!
But in the last two months, lots of current Cher news has passed me by. So to recap…
There was a special screening of Come Back to the 5 and Dine, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in New
York City at the Walter Reade Theater on July 15 that was followed by a Q&A with the production designer David Gropman, production executive Peter Newman and the distributor Ira Deutchman. The screening was presented by UCLA Film & Television Archive's preservation project at their Biennial Festival of Preservation. The Film Society of Lincoln Center hosted.
http://www.filmlinc.com/press/entry/film-society-to-host-new-york-engagement-of-ucla-festival-of-preservation
A review of the screening: http://altscreen.com/07/14/2011/friday-editors-pick-come-back-to-the-five-and-dime-jimmy-dean-jimmy-dean-1982-2/
Zookeeper came out! (Cher at premiere above and below) I really enjoyed Zookeeper. Critics have been harsh but then critics always hate the feel-good love story. It’s been done so many times, you know. But they actually do the trick of making one feel good. So, there you go. Cher was way underrepresented in animal dialogue (but it was her character Janet’s idea for Kevin James to go on a date with his co-worker…which was a crucial plot point). To hear her sing Boston’s "More Than a Feeling" during the end credits with the other animal cast members more than made up for the price of the ticket. I was in Cher-singing-random-songs Heaven. My trip to the movie was not without drama though. I went alone and arrived early. A huge Caucasian family (grandma in tow) completely surrounded me, passing their popcorn and drinks over me without so much as an excuse us. And then kept giving me annoyed glances as if I were the rude one. Note to parents, if you’re going to a movie with 12 family members who insist on sitting together, get there on the early side. Don't expect everyone there to accommodate you.
The movie had lots of zoo jokes. Everyone enjoyed it. Kevin James’ brother Dave in the movie looks like ICANN's CEO Rod Beckstrom. I liked the crazy Asian character–geat break from stereotype. I enjoyed the sweet wedding scene the best…the leads had chemistry. The Bromance with Gorilla Nick Nolte was also fun. Ironically, the animal scenes could have been funnier.
News came out in Entertainment Weekly this summer that Jane Lynch took the Nun role in the Three Stooges movie. I can’t say I’m devastated by this news. Although it must be fun to make comedies, Cher’s true acting gift is doing dramatic roles and I wish we’d see more of those. The best parts of Burlesque were when Cher was in a bit of drama. Cher cries and we cry.
Becoming Chaz’s has earned an emmy nomination.
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2011/07/chaz-bono-becoming-emmy-nominee
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1651272.php/Chaz-Bono-good-for-OWN-delivers-first-Emmy-Nomination
Speaking of World of Wonder productions, Drag U season 2 has been keeping me GOING the past month with its feel-good female empowerment messages. I even bought RuPaul's book "Workin It." This season they've had some butch lesbians in want of some dragging, which further reinforces the idea that clothes serve more as a uniform than representation of un-evolving identity. All the women seem to get a confidence boost from a few days as a Drag Queen. There's power to mine in big hair and sequins, there really is. And pink is just a a color, not an identity statement.
Cher turned up on the Bullseye page of Entertainment Weekly this summer and not in the good part of the page…she was in the far-off-center part: “Cher plans on touring long into her retirement. See? Another Mermaid in a wheelchair” (referring to Bette Midler as the other mermaid in a wheelchair).
She won't escape crap for a fake-retirement tour.
A clip of Cher and her mother Georgia singing together has surfaced. I love, love, love this. Hope this clip is a hint of more country to come from a new Cher release. You gotta do these things while you can.
My cousin has tipped me off to Cher Sidewalk (part of the Heavy Metal Parkinglot series) although it turns out Cher fans are not as hilariously dopey as 1986 Judas Priest fans.
In the wayback files, Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour costume designer Ret Turner(all the costumes Bob Mackie didn't do) is interviewed.
That's all for now….I hear I have a lot of Cher tweets to catch up on.
Thank you Cher scholar Robrt for reminding me of this most unfortunate compilation in your comment to last week's post.
