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Category: Film (Page 10 of 16)

A Cher’s Eye View (Cher Tweets)

April 6, 2011 / / 2 Comments

Twitter-chershoes The pics in this post are from Cher's tweets. For instance, Cher takes a picture of her feet. Who hasn't done that??? That's my favorite one!

There are many cool developments in Cher-tweet-land…Cher's eye view pictures being the best. It's like…could you do a tweet an autobiography?

Some ask, "Is it really Cher tweeting?" It doesn't seem too foolish to believe that she is. The tweets are honest, peppery, emotional and even occasionally humanly mundane…and contain a quality of vagueness beyond what an assistant or publicist would contribute.

That said, when folks criticize her spelling and grammar–it's ludicrous. Seriously, Twitter is the land of C U Ltr. It seems these people are just poking Cher with a stick is what that is all about.

Which is why when Cher asks: "If people don't like me then why not just stay away & follow who They Love?" and "I must b very naïve cause I still don’t understand why people who don’t like me come here? Seems mean 4 no reason"  My opinion: they come to get a rise out of Cher…which they are more likely to get with something negative than something positive.

Twitter-cher-nepal

Cher in Nepal: Last night John made me watch a National Geographic show about Big Foot in Nepal.

So anyway, I’m behind with the Cher tweets…does that make me a bad fan? Make no mistake, I love the tweets. Cher is very generous with her tweet time.

"Ok let’s pick a topic & talk to each other! Something u think I won’t answer! Let’s stay away from XXX! We respect one another" Mar 23

I’m 35 text pages behind!!!  Cher has been a tweet'n fool too. And pouring over them feels like trying to uncover mysteries in biblical texts.

In any case, there is no need for Cher to defend her tweets with dyslexia. ("Dyslexia SORE spot 4 me! School was hell! Said I was lazy.” Mar 23) Even if she wasn't dyslexic, she can freakin tweet any way she wants.

Anyway, back to September of last year: Cher is loving on Lady Gaga’s VMA dress and she was just getting her tootsies squished into Grauman’s Chinese Theater ("the impossible dream of a tiny 4 yr old come True!" and "the first time ever someone got to throw glitter all over it." Nov 18). Again, Cher laments “I feel my Best Pictures are behind me” which boggles the mind. I feel like we’ve been hearing this since Believe and there have been amazing amazing pictures since then, The Vanity Fair pics are really beautiful. Stand right up there with anything from the 70s or 80s.

I "liked" Cher on Facebook (as I was told to do Sept 30)

Twitterfanpic I love this picture…an near-Cher-view of a fan getting his All I Ever Need Is You (1972) album signed in New York City (posted Nov 11). I love that album. I really do.

You haven’t seen the last of me is now in Cher's top 5 songs she's done. Oct 23…says Burlesque isn’t Shakespeare and is predictable but is beautiful and fun. Indeed.

Says Zimmerman is writing for teen Disney show, Shake it Up and Cher was sad when she lost half a years worth of texts between her and Rz…“I’m desolate! They were precious 2 me” (Mar 14) This reminds me of the heartache of losing creative and personal work from computer crashes. Technology has a sucky side. Which is why I'm wary of using document scanners for important docs. A fire seems less likely than a computer crash.

Cher thanked her fans for the last night in her three-year Vegas run: “packed audience on their feet for nearly the whole show! They screamed and yelled with excitement and delight" Feb 8

Cher now has a YouTube station: http://www.youtube.com/cher but there's not much on it yet

Cher often expresses concern for friends in surgery or sick. She expressed honest disappointment about the Oscars shunning for Best Song, “Would u like Some Cheese 2 go with that WHINE!” Jan 26  (her own "Snap out of it!")

She raises the interesting identity question: "Why would someone pretend to be me. It’s meaningless 4 them. Instead of making them feel more…it must make them feel less” Nov 6

She "Didn’t know caps were shouting! Sorry! I’m SO out of the loop. Probably out of the loop Is outa the loop" Feb 23

Twitter-cherdressing room Twitter-beforeshow  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two gorgeous pics of Lovely Cher backstage before Vegas Caesars shows.

"Who or What is Cher Lloyd" Mar 15 (Cher Lloyd is who clogs up my Cher google searches, that’s who!)…this comment causes drama to ensue from Cher Lloyd's minions: "I guess I live in a cave. No Disrespect meant !" The next day she apologizes for not knowing tweet etiquette (who does?) "give me a fn break here…There’s rm 4 both she has more followers cool! There truly is lots a rm! It’s a Big planet!"

Which is nice of Cher to say…but…honestly…can we be honest here in the 5th decade?…the planet does not have room for most celebrities, which is why they fade away predictably within months, years or a decade at most. Cher takes up a lot of planet room….nothing against thousands of other celebs who didn’t make it 5 decades…it’s just…you know…the odds are not good for Cher Lloyd. I could be wrong. Let’s touch base in 20 years. If I’m wrong. I’ll eat my hat.

People are asking questions (I'm so jealous!) but we only get to see the answer and I am forced to guess at the questions:

"long blk straight, But I try to make it wavy. Only works in Maui" Mar 15 (Is your hair straight or wavy?)

"true ! Broke it long ago ! Compound fract. but was in rehearsal 4 a show wore cast 2 wks Dr said 'you'll pay' " May 15 (Was it true you broke your toe?)

"Neon Pink on toes Metallic rose glitter on fingers Not deep or meaningful, it's just what I'm Doing right now" Mar 15 (What nail polish do you wear?)

Twitter-chercatCher dishes about pets. Awww!

"My cat 'Mr Big' found him on tour undera truck, alone ! Tiny little thing! I took pic & did silly art work" mar 16 

"Love both ! Found puppy in dirt alone (my karma) Rome ! Fought Lily T. 4 him (kidding) name pipo ! My Sister G Took him" (Do you like dogs or cats?)

"loved my dog Kuma ! Akita ! It's cool people Love their pets ! He's Gone, but what a Prince he Was. Strange, writing this i got tears"
Mar 16

On Kathy Griffin: "Let’s talk Kathy! I love her. Took her to Maui with G & bunch a my best friends 4 years! Only KG and RZ make me laugh uncontrollably! She is very kind, dresses up when not working. Me, I live in Chrome’s sweatpants." Mar 16

"Love 2 play wii tennis! It’s so much fun & great cardio!" Mar 17

This reminds me. I just finished a Mark Twain biography, a 600-page opus by Ron Powers. Did you know Mark Twain wrote with a bunch of ampersands in his correspondence & he would probably tweet that way too.)

"NO In & OUT Couple times a yr 3 jack tacos & choc shake whipped cream No Cherry!" Mar 17

Twitter-chercloset"In bed watching tcm! Not tired but gotta get up early’n work out. Been cleaning out my closet 4 what seems like half my adult life" Mar 17

"Hi Lovely's! Ran across my orig S&C Fur vest ! Will take pic tonite & post ! Am in closet will take pics !"

Look at all those shoes!

She solicits opinions about playing Mother superior to an orphanage on The Three Stooges movie (I’m agnostic) mar 18 "I want 2 do more films! …something 2 sink my teeth in! completely different! Unexpected! Cher put a sock in it."

Cher: explore your inner villain! Cher Scholar put a sock in it.

"Several mes! Calm impatient young old funny sad outgoing shy soft sharp laugh cry" Mar 18 (Who is the real you?)

"No Been Cher ALL MY LIFE! Only Cherilyn when in trouble!" Mar 24 (Were you ever called Cherilyn?)

"With Meryl saved girl from getting rapped by HUGE MAN between little Italy china town midnight" (No way!)

She almost had car accident after Chaz’s bday party on Mar 20: "yah but party was tonite ! Many people were away on 4th" (Why was Chaz's bday party on the 20th?)

Says she is "ipad/phone possessed. Artist I love So! Has song 4 me & maybe she & I duet! Oh happy Day lovelies" mar 21

"Wash every other nite! Unless needed don’t user dyer! Put is swirly big bun and let it dry that way" (How do you wash your hair?)

Finally we have questions included around March 26!

"I would have dinner with Jesus Buddha Shakespeare Billie Holiday Harry Hopkins" mar 26

"what’s your fave quotation that you truly live by? If it doesn’t matter in 5 years, it doesn’t matter! Mom" Mar 26

On Liz taylor: "I was once going through Hard time & She was So Kind 2 me" Mar 26

"Don’t sing my songs. Do wear my perfume. Fav song Winter Shade of Pale I’m hippy" Mar 26

Twitter-cherbuddha

Cher's pool with a Buddha statue.

Zimmerman turns out is a "big fan horror film I’m not! He put on Rene Zelweger scary ass film! I’m scared go down stairs 4 ice cream. Ok he’s going down 4 the ice cream, but I may never go Downstairs in the Dark AGAIN! Hate horror! I’m big sissy! What kind of ice cream? Chocolate??? If it’s not choc. It’s not Desert." Mar 28

"Oh! Arg! Monday! I became a singer so I could work Nites! Not really! Son said “Sing Cher” So I Did! But thank God it was Nites" Mar 28

Like all of us, Cher is curious about the latest antics of Charlie Sheen’s personal tour. Apr 3

"was almost no ["You Haven't Seen the Last of Me"] director hated it & wanted it out of his film ..said it would ruin it !" Apr 3

"would you ever duet with merle haggard? Seriously? Oh God yes ! Love him It might not b lovelies fav but great" apr 3 (This should happen.)

"I’m very dyslexic! Imagine what a success I might have made of my life if only my grammar was perfect…Might have been able to have true connection with people! Make them feel something! (sounds like Sonny liner notes from 1973) Oh well quel damage" mar 22

She’s kidding right!? Tell me she’s kidding.

"Nothing would be better than kicking the bucket on stage." Jan 27

Don’t say that! Cher freaks do NOT like to think of "Cher mortality." I can only imagine what Liz Taylor fans are going through right now. And if Entertainment Weekly puts Cher on the back and
Arnold Schwarzenegger's poopey face on the front when Cher “kicks it” I will lose my mind.

By the way, there are many Liz pics on the set of the movie Giant in EW's Taylor tribute this week, that set really being in Martha, Texas, the major plot setting forCome Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean.

Things Cher likes that you might want to check out:

Twiiter-parents

"Mom dad ! M. suede pants squaw boots ! ponytail 2 waist" mar 22

"my mom & Dad ! Like movie Stars ! Can't c moms Long hair suede pants & moccasins" apr 1

"I’m tired. Nite lovelies! That includes lovelies that Don’t love Me!" Mar 20



TV and Movie Rumours

February 27, 2011 / / 2 Comments

Cast The two rumours circulating this week were:

That Cher will star as the nun in the Farrelly Brothers' new Three Stooges movie:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/02/the-three-stooges-farrelly-brothers-cher-samberg-knoxville-benicio.html

Larry, Curly, Moe and…Cher?

The goal is for the singer-actress to play Mother Superior, the nun whom the Stooges terrorize.

"Cher is just the coolest chick ever," Peter Farrelly told 24 Frames. "It's hard to describe. You meet a lot of celebrities in our business. We're not cowed by many of them. But Cher is bawdy, she's fun, she's cool, she's lived a life, she's got experience, she's humble. It's the humility that struck me the most. She's not really a diva."  A representative for Cher did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Peter Farrelly: “We’ve thought about it for 12 years. I literally lie in bed thinking about every single shot. I’ve never been more prepared to do a movie in my life.”

Chershow And that Cher will be in the 2011 cast of Dancing with the Stars:
http://sportales.com/shooting/dancing-with-the-stars-2011-cast-revealed/

Most not likely due to Cher having been very vocal about hating not only all reality shows, but having dismissed that particular reality show, and unlikely due to her having a bum toe, and unlikely just in general for Cher not wanting to expend that much energy.

Besides, The Cher Show was Dancing with the Stars.   

 

 

Becoming Chaz

January 30, 2011 / / 0 Comments

ChazChaz Bono's gender transformation documentary, Becoming Chaz, has just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last weekend and Oprah has snapped up the rights to air it on her OWN network.

From Entertainment Weekly:

Beyond hormone treatments and surgeries, the film walks moviegoers through Chaz’s changing relationship with his mom, Cher and girlfriend, Jennifer Elia.

From The Salt Lake Tribune:

The three stars of the premiere of “Becoming Chaz” were, in order, Oprah Winfrey, Chaz’s mom Cher, and Chaz’s longtime lover Jen.

But the buzz at the Park City premiere was all about Oprah, who, to the delight of Chaz and the film’s directors, has bought “Chaz” for distribution on her new OWN Network.

“Oprah said last night that she has seen the film and she loves it quite a lot,” said co-director Randy Barbato. Then he joked: “With Oprah approval, we don’t even need a premiere. We’re done.”

From the Sundance page:

Chaz Bono was a male trapped in a female shell for as long as he can remember. Growing up as Sonny and Cher’s adorable golden-haired daughter in a body he felt wasn’t his own was a crucible it took years to transcend. Now, as he undertakes gender reassignment, he’s bravely decided to share the process on camera. Becoming Chaz invites us along on Chaz’s remarkable journey of transformation. As hormone shots give way to top surgery, down-to-earth, unflappable Chaz beams with a sense of liberation and goes public with his story to put a face on a misunderstood issue. Meanwhile, his gregarious girlfriend grapples with the realities of suddenly living with a man, and it’s clear sex change isn’t solely a physical transition.

Intimate and nakedly honest, the film reveals the humanity and courage it takes for Chaz to ultimately embrace his true self. His moving struggle will reverberate profoundly for anyone to whom authenticity matters.

The film has been receiving good reviews. Excerpts:

Initially the documentary shows Cher struggling with her child's so-called gender re-assignment, though she eventually embraces Chaz's transformation, even if she struggles to refer to him as he.
While she has already spoken about him on Late Night with David Letterman, as we see in the film, expect her to be a guest on Oprah any time soon.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10702556

Becoming Chaz delves into the relationship with a level of honesty I wouldn’t have expected from a celebrity profile. Though the film probably would not have mass appeal were it to focus on a transgendered individual without ridiculously famous parents, Chaz uses his celebrity as a form of advocacy.

http://www.filmthreat.com/reviews/29406/

One of the most poignant segments of the documentary is the interview with Cher, who is openly uncomfortable with Chaz's transition and admits to being afraid to see him post-surgery. Cher often uses the pronoun "she" to refer to Chaz and uses Chaz's childhood nickname in place of Chaz or even Chastity. It humanizes the larger-than-lifesinger and actress, even as it shows how far even those we look to as icons and advocates have to go. (Cher and Chaz finally appear together at the end as Chaz, Jennifer and Cher attend the premiere of 'Burlesque.' Cher was reportedly not at the Sundance premiere of 'Becoming Chaz.')

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/01/28/becoming-chaz-review-sundance/
  

Oscar Snub

January 30, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Mask3 Okay, it's not quite a snub of Mask-nitude. But it sucks because I was looking forward to an Oscar-live performance of the song. It's all about me isn't it?

In today's Oscar nomination flurry, many noticed that "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me Yet," the "Burlesque" song written by Diane Warren and performed by Cher — aka, the best original song winner at the Golden Globes — didn't receive a nomination for the Academy's best original song. Cher was among those who expressed outrage, tweeting: "The Golden Globe 4 BEST SONG & not even get nominated by the OSCARS? Oh well it is..what it is…the sun is still shining!" In other words, haters gonna hate.

Harumph! Well, oscars love a reason to exclude somebody.

This does not upset me to the level that Farah Fawcett being excluded from the Death Reel last year upset me. Didn't they say something about how she didn't make enough movies.  Umm…I counted seven, including such hits as Cannanball Run, Extremities, and The Apostle. Michael Jackson did make the Death Reel and his only film performance (outside of playing himself) was The Wiz. I'm probably a bigger Jackson fan than I am a Fawcett fan and yet this still irked me to no end. Because it was so obviously a diss. The Oscar people tried to rationalize their obvious exclusion with junk that didn't hold water to anyone who knew how to use imdb.com.

Because they're jerks. There I said it.  

http://www.billboard.com/news/billboard-bits-cher-responds-burlesque-oscar-1005011852.story#/news/billboard-bits-cher-responds-burlesque-oscar-1005011852.story
 
 

Onward to Elephants

January 30, 2011 / / 0 Comments

MV5BNzczOTU5NjM3NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDk1NjcwNA@@__V1__SY317_ So Cher's next movie premiere is July 8. In this one she voices the elephant in The Zookeeper, about "animals at one particular zoo who decide to break their code of silence in order to help their lovable zookeeper gain the attention of one particular woman."

And as Cher reminds us at the premiere of Elephants and Man: A Litany of Tragedy, zoo animals have a lot more to think about than a zookeeper's lousy love life.

Cher attended the premiere to endorse the documentary about the mistreatment of elephants. Which is awesome!

 

 

 

Watch the documentary online:
http://vodpod.com/watch/5354298-elephants-and-man-a-litany-of- tragedy-part-1

Cher's arrival and comments: Elephants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG0Mx9W-u2U&feature=channel

To get an idea how annoying photographers are at premieres:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O_haAHo2SU&feature=watch_response_rev

Ever since working for a few St. Louis-based animal welfare groups as a young woman, I can't endorse zoos. Like Cher says about having elephants at zoos: it's just not worth the suffering. I would extrapolate that to the gorillas, tigers and birds. Okay…and even the snakes, too.

      

Director of Suspect Dies

January 22, 2011 / / 1 Comment

000337_21 Been quite busy re-organizing after Christmas vacation and getting back into a novel and the next Cher zine. John and I have also been making some day trips out and around northern New Mexico. We went to Santa Rosa to see the blue hole, this totally awesome gargantuan spring 81 feet deep. My grandmother used to tell a story about moving with her siblings from Texas to Santa Rosa in a covered wagon. We drove around a little bit and then to Tucumcari, New Mexico, to that town’s quite interesting history museum, and back to Santa Rosa. The famous Route 66 restaurant I picked out for lunch, Joseph's, was a disaster of bad food and service. We drove by the place three times in two hours and a waitress was always outside the front door smoking a cigarette. When we finally stopped to eat there this waitress ended up being our very unenthusiastic waitress. My reputation for picking out our traveling eateries is now in jeopardy.

….but this is all to say I’m behind in my BREAKING-AWAY Cher news.

The director of one of my favorite Cher movies, Suspect, died the other day. Peter Yates also most famously directed Steve McQueen in Bullitt; and he also directed the great Midwestern growing up flick Breaking Away and Krull and a movie I was once most obsessed with after we first got cable—Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay being very theatrical in The Dresser. 
  Images

Back on Top: The Burlesque DVD and Various Accolades

January 22, 2011 / / 0 Comments

1e9ec060ada01d6003221210_L One of the things I brought home from my Christmas trip to see my parents was some old, late-80s exercise tapes I found in my stuff still stored in their basement. 

For the last few years I’ve been doing pilates for my back and they always remind me of Doreen Rivera’s Stretch for Life tape I had back when I was doing aerobics. So not only did I get to re-explore that tape but tapes by Kathy Smith, Denise Austin and none other than fitness pixie, Jane Fonda. I used to favor the Rivera tape because the stretches made me feel good. In fact I hated the Fonda/Austin/Smith tapes and never did them. They were so chipper, so perky in that 80s happy-color way. And something about Jane Fonda’s voice used to annoy the hell outa me. My sister-in-law and I used to work out for years to Joanie Greggains records. I watched two Joanie Greggains tapes again last week and man, those were some really dangerous stuff we used to do. I can’t do half of it anymore but I throw my back out.

Surprisingly, now that I’m old, I loved the Jane Fonda, Kathy Smith and Denise Austin tapes. I decided Austin was very encouraging, Smith was challenging and the Fonda tape was most pleasant this time around. What the hell as happened to me?

The Golden Globe

So imagine my surprise to be having this new Fonda moment when it’s Jane herself who appeared last Sunday to do the somewhat awkward introducing of Burlesque for Cher at the Golden Globes. Jane called herself Cher’s friend and really gave a cheerful introduction to the dubious nominee. It was nice.

My friends thought the opening Ricky Gervais Cher joke was mean. How can tickets to a Cher show be considered a bribe, he asked. Do you want to see Cher in Vegas? No. Because it’s not 1975! I actually thought it was funny and athough a jibe, it diffused the drama somewhat. Besides the scholarly fact 70799173-songwriter-diane that Cher wasn’t touring in 1975, the point is…how big of a bribe was it? For real. 

I admit, it didn’t look good and I hope it doesn’t hurt her chances for an Oscar nod for best song. I know. I know. I am not a huge Diane Warren fan. Well documented. But I was really happy she won a Golden Globe award for the song and I was moved by her acceptance.

The Burlesque DVD

You can now pre-order the DVD or Blu-Ray which are set to come out March 1. I’m really pissed the special features are only rumored to come out on Blu-Ray, which I don’t have and won’t be getting soon.
According to Sony:

Blu-ray extras will include director's commentary, an alternate opening, a blooper reel, The Burlesque Lounge: Alternate Full Musical Performances and 5 featurettes (Burlesque is Back!, The Performers: The Cast of Burlesque, Setting the Stage:  Production Design & Performers, Inside the Dressing Room: Creating the Burlesque Look and The Set List: The Music & Choreography of Burlesque).

To Be Camp or Not to Be Camp

http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/piranha-3-d/

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, a group of writers from publications like The Advocate and Us Weekly, which has announced that the winner for “Campy – Intentional or Not – Film of the Year” is “Burlesque.” It beat out worthwhile contenders like “Sex and the City 2” and “Piranha 3-D.” The win was especially notable because Steven Antin, the director of “Burlesque,” only recently told the Bagger that he didn’t care for the film’s reception. “It really wasn’t what I was aiming for, the camp,” he said of the film starring Cher and Christina Aguilera. “I wanted to make a fun film that was a throwback to Hollywood’s golden age of musicals, and people perceived it as camp for obvious reasons. I was surprised it was perceived that way.”

I am perplexed that Antin didn’t anticipate this.

Breaking the Record

So the big news last week was that Cher’s song from the movie, “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me,” not only won a Golden Globe for best song but also topped the dance charts. This marked a very impressive chart record for Cher.

From the LV Examiner:
http://www.examiner.com/live-music-in-las-vegas/cher-farewell

With all that to celebrate how appropriate is it that at press time, Cher had just received a Golden Globe award for Best Song in her latest big screen event “Burlesque.” She told her audience after winning that award that the director for the movie didn’t even want to add the song into the film. But Cher did and she now has another statue to prove it.

And here that song has been the most successful piece of the movie. You can already download a karaoke version: http://www.amazon.com/Havent-Seen-Last-Style-Instrumental/dp/B004H4L3GU/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1295721359&sr=8-15

Cher now has the record for biggest span of time between two hot 100 number 1 singles and is the only act EVER to have a #1 hit song on the charts in each of 6 consecutive decades. [Note: this is a different achievement than the one my friend Christopher was hoping for–a top ten hot 100 single in five decades.]

From Billboard:
http://www.billboard.com/news/cher-shines-with-no-1-in-sixth-consecutive-1004139281.story#/news/cher-shines-with-no-1-in-sixth-consecutive-1004139281.story

On the Dance/Club Play Songs chart to be released on Billboard.com Thursday (Jan. 20), the song reaches No. 1, making the leading lady the only act to have notched a No. 1 single on a Billboard chart in each of the last six decades.

In fitting Cher style, she tells Billboard, "How can it be six decades when I'm only four decades?"
Written by Diane Warren, the ballad was remixed into an uptempo number for dance floors by the likes of Dave Aude, StoneBridge, Edson Pride and Almighty.

Cher collected her first leader on a Billboard list Aug. 14, 1965, when Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" began its first of three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

In the '70s, she racked up a trio of Hot 100 No. 1s on her own with the story songs "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" (1971), "Half-Breed" (1973) and "Dark Lady" (1974). She notched another '70s No. 1 with Sonny, "All I Ever Need Is You," on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart in 1971.

Moving forward to the '80s, the AC chart continued to be a friend to Cher, as she locked up No. 1s on the survey in 1989 with "After All," with Peter Cetera, and her iconic "If I Could Turn Back Time."

In the '90s, Cher stormed back to the Hot 100, where she reigned for four weeks at No. 1 in 1999 with the title track from her album "Believe." The song would go on to finish 1999 has the year's top Hot 100 single. It also hit No. 1 on our Dance/Club Songs chart in 1999, as did two more singles from "Believe": "Strong Enough" and "All or Nothing."

In the '00s, Cher landed a further pair of No. 1s on Dance/Club Play Songs: "A Different Kind of Love Song" in 2002 and "When the Money's Gone" in 2003, both from her album "Living Proof."

The only. act. ever. Take that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [By the way, I just read an article on Sonic Youth in Newsweek and they don't think they'll ever get inducted either.]

  

Burlesque Updates for the New Year

January 6, 2011 / / 0 Comments

This week Burlesque is #17 box office and Cher's song "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" is #3 on Billboard's dance club play list.

"You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me" now has an "official" video:

I actually love this video with its lovely editing and montage of great Cher moments in the movie.

http://www.cherworld.com/news/?p=1600
http://www.starobserver.com.au/celebrity-2/2011/01/04/chers-club-comeback/41223

Nominated to be a nomination

Burlesque is on the list of possible nominations for a razzie award. That means it has been nominated to be a nomination.

The nomination ballots for the awards celebrating the worst movies of 2010 have just been mailed out, and "Burlesque" leads the pack, with nods for worst actress (Christina Aguilera), worst supporting actress (Kristen Bell and Cher), worst supporting actor (Cam Gigandet), worst screenplay, and worst director.

The glitzy musical was not, however, considered for worst picture, reports the L.A. Times. That distinction went to "The Bounty Hunter,” “Clash of the Titans,” “The Expendables,” “Grown Ups,” “Jonah Hex,” “Killers,” “The Last Airbender,” “Little Fockers,” “Sex and the City 2,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “Vampires Suck” and “Yogi Bear.”

The official Razzie Award nominations will be announced January 24.

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/04/burlesque-in-the-lead-for-upcoming-razzie-noms/

Sigh. If only the movie had the delicate gravitas and crisp emotional drama of the video…

Burlesque: How’re We Doing?

December 20, 2010 / / 0 Comments

This Burlesque shit is off the charts.

First, a year of fun pre-premiering with lots of kewl appearances, interviews and products…then all the scandals and intrigue.

The Murder:

Although one person of interest just committed suicide, the Ronnie Chasen murder still not solved to anyone’s satisfaction:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8191882/Murder-of-Hollywood-publicist-Ronnie-Chasen-solved.html

Her killing baffled investigators, who indicated it may have been targeted but could find no apparent motive. Her purse had not been stolen, adding weight to suspicions that she was not a random victim.

Last week Harold Smith, an unemployed 43-year-old with a string of past convictions, shot himself as he was approached by officers investigating a tip-off given to a Crimewatch-style television programme.

An anonymous caller gave the name of Smith, who was about to be evicted from his flat, and said he had bragged to neighbours that he was paid $10,000 to kill Miss Chasen.

But officers said Smith was merely "of interest" to them and was not a suspect. They said initially the gun and bullets he used to kill himself did not appear to match those used on Miss Chasen.
Further doubts that Smith was capable of the apparently sophisticated roadside murder were raised when it emerged that his only form of transport had been a bicycle.

However, at a news conference late on Wednesday, Dave Snowden, the chief of Beverly Hills police, said that it now seemed almost certain that Smith had indeed carried out the killing.
He said tests had found Smith's gun and bullets did match those used on Miss Chasen after all. "We believe that Mr Smith acted alone," Mr Snowden said.

"We don't believe it was a professional hit." Det Sgt Michael Publicker added that Smith "was at a desperate point and was reaching out and doing desperate measures". He added: "Most likely it was a robbery gone bad".

Smith had several convictions, including robbery and drugs offences, and was released from his second spell in prison in 2007.

The Box Office:

After spending its first week at #4, Burlesque moved up to #3 behind Tangled and Harry Potter for its second week, then went down to #7 for the third week, (the theater count went down as well) and this week has fallen to #11 in box office. I saw it again with my husband on Sunday (yes, he went twice!! And still insists he enjoyed it) and the tiny theater it had been relegated to was stuffed with 30 people for a Sunday 2pm showing. They all seemed into it. The average age of the audience was elderly. I enjoyed listening to the gay guy next to us comment throughout the movie. He was there with his mom. We all three, husband, me and gay guy (unbeknownst to us), all tried to see how much money Tess turns over to her ex-husband with that check dramatic check close-up…none of us could locate a dollar amount. We all vowed to freeze frame the DVD someday. 

To date the movie has earned $35,537,765. To make up its cost, it has to beat $55 million which internationally it should do.

http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/

The Golden Globe Nominations:

Cher’s song "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" has moved up to #14 on he dance chart and has been nominated for a Golden Globe award, as has Christina's "Bound to You."

Other competition: Gwyneth Paltrow's "Coming Home" (from Country Strong), Mandy Moore & Zachery Levi's "I See The Light" (from Tangled) and Carried Underwood's "There's a Place for Us" (from Chronicles of Narnia). Christina said of the nomination:"I want to thank the HFPA for recognizing our song 'Bound to You'. It is a ballad Sia and I wrote from the heart and one that I am extremely proud of."

Me love me some Sia.

And…The 68th Annual Golden Globe nominations also includes the movie Burlesque in the category of Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and it was quite the controversial pick.

From: http://www.popeater.com/2010/12/20/burlesque-bribe-golden-globes-cher/

When the poorly-reviewed film 'Burlesque' earned a Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) Golden Globe nomination last week, many observers and everyday movie fans were left with stunned looks on their faces. A fun musical romp? Sure. But one of the best of the year? C'mon! Well, thanks to Patrick Goldstein of the the Los Angeles Times, we may now have an idea at just how Sony was able to swing such an honor from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Goldstein opened a can of worms when he wrote last week that HFPA members "took a Sony-sponsored trip to Las Vegas to see Cher in concert, then gave her film a stunning best picture nod."

This shocking little nugget leaves us to wonder: Did the makers of 'Burlesque,' which currently sports a 39 percent rating from film critics over at Rotten Tomatoes, grease the palms of the 81-member foreign press voting bloc in order to secure a nomination? Well, it's been done before, as The Independent notes:

"In 1981, the unknown Pia Zadora won a Best Newcomer award for her role in 'Butterfly,' a film which had been universally derided. It later emerged that the movie's producer, who was also her husband, had flown the entire HFPA to Las Vegas for a weekend holiday immediately before they voted."

All this scandal has angered one of the stars of 'Burlesque,' Cher, who I'm told had no idea Sony was flying the voters to Vegas to see her perform.

"Cher is furious that this happened," an insider tells me. "She meets hundreds of people backstage every week and never asks what they do for a living. She just assumed this group was another group of fans for her to meet and greet."

My source tells me that if it's somehow confirmed that voters gave the film the nomination because they got a free trip to Vegas, "Cher would rather they keep the darn thing."

That doesn’t sound like a real Cher quote, honestly. I can't see her using the phrase "darn thing." The phrase "insider tells me" also makes me wonder about that bit of news.

From: http://www.hotmommagossip.com/2010/12/20/golden-globes-nod-for-burlesque-uncovers-judging-corruption/

For years the Golden Globes were regarded as a signpost to the Oscars; If it won a Globe it was sure to get a gold man as well. Today, few in Hollywood respect them, and since Cher and Christina Aguilera got picked for ‘Burlesque’ this disdain has grown.

Released on November 24, Burlesque’s $55-million budget and withering reception rightly made it one of the most expensive Thanksgiving turkeys in history. So when it received a nomination for ‘Best Picture’ at last week’s Globes preview, even those whose medication prompts them to consider the awards vaguely relevant were confused.

But the cause of this error may have been found – Just before they cast their votes, the obscure collection of 81 foreign journalists who are the Globes’ voting panel received a lavish, free trip to Las Vegas to see Cher in concert.

I thought this was all very outrageous and scandalous and told my husband so shortly after he got home from work. He seemed to think it was non-news and said people are naïve if they think buying nominations isn’t how the dirty business works. I said this potentially taints Cher and the Globes. He said bolderdash and then I called him a Cherpologist, mostly because I just wanted to try out that word (yell it the way my niece Sarah once accused him very loudly at a family dinner of being a FISH AND TURKEY STEALER!) but also because I am finding it hard to get a Cher criticism out of him lately. 

He said he hoped my blog headline would read "Man Who Sets Cher Traps Becomes a Cherpologist"

 

Cher Interviews! Can You Get Enough?

December 20, 2010 / / 1 Comment

The great thing about Burlesque press is seeing how friendly Cher has become again. In TV interviews over the past years Cher has seemed tense and stern. It's fun to see her smiling again. 

A good online Cher interview:

  • When asked her beauty secret: “There's a team of five dozen people and it takes them two hours."
  • Asked about making friends on the road vs on the set: “You develop a real shorthand as to who you like…”
  • “I’m never going to do a lot of films”
  • Her secret to longevity: “I haven’t got a clue. I think it’s luck. I really do think it’s luck.”

The Movie Phone interview between Cher and Christina was fun:

  • When asked about her favorite gift from a fan she talks about a painting, I think she's talking about that Ward Lamb picture again.

An essay on Cher's appeal as a gay icon:

  • “Every gay icon possesses qualities through which we live vicariously…and with Cher you get more bang for your buck. It’s wish fulfillment on a grand scale.”
  • "She’s 'a woman like no other.' That’s basically the front of the line for gay men.”

The New York Times Interview:

  • She talks about needing foot surgery, and having aches and pains everywhere.
  • The Times describes her as having “a magnitude of celebrity for which the word fame is pathetically insufficient…Cher has come to seem the Sherman tank of divas, sometimes under fire but seldom in retreat.”
  • The author expresses discomfort with treating her like a mortal.
  • The big news:  Cher will soon host and introduce old favorite movies to be shown after midnight on the TCM channel.  Can’t wait to watch old movies with Cher!!
  • On her movie role choices: “Look, I have a very narrow range.” Me, I think think Cher should choose to a bad guy character next. Bad guys are fun to play. And she can exercize her bitchy look.
  • She tells a funny story about Barbra Streisand: When she flashed back to her favorite exercise class in Beverly Hills decades ago, the fellow crunchers and squatters were Raquel Welch, and Ali McGraw…and Streisand, who “would go over, do two little things, and then walk around and talk,” Cher said.

Regis-philbin-cher-kelly-ripa-2010-11-19-14-20-23 Regis and Kelly

This was one of my favorite interviews, maybe because I could relate to Kelly's giddiness or because they asked really fun questions and got Cher talking about life at home.

  • Regis said "You can't get bigger than this next guest."
  • Kelly said: "This is the greatest moment of my life."
  • Regis made me laugh when he joked with Cher: "Have you missed me at all?"
  • Cher admitted she's a great cook (Sonny taught me) but she only cooks on special occasions. Her specialty is sauces (Sonny’s sauce). Don't you think Christy Bono, Chaz and Cher ought to get together to commemorate Sonny with book of his recipes?
  • At Chez Cher, they do a traditional thanksgiving: turkey, mashed potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes "with the bad marshmallows" and for Thanksgiving she dresses like a bum.
  • Cher and Regis have known each other since The Joey Bishop Show.
  • Cher says "We are all artists in our own life, all the star of our own life."
  • Kelly called Cher the original performance artist.
  • Cher said Lady Gaga's Meat purse “didn’t feel very nice.”
  • Cher insists she's not threatening or menacing and that younger men are attracted to her because "younger men were being rasied by women like me."
  • Cher claims she never sang in any of her movies? But she sang in Good Times, and for bits of Jimmy Dean, Mask (an entire song that got cut) and Tea with Mussolini.

Letterman David Letterman:

  • Letterman reminded Cher it was 23 years ago that she was on the NBC show with Sonny. (That makes me feel old.)
  • On signing autographs Cher says: "It takes as much time to say no as to say yes." (Can Cher do an intervention between autograph-hater Val Kilmer and the town of Pecos, NM?)
  • On expensive Vegas show tickets “My fans have a hard time with it.”
  • She has appreciated the Vegas show but likes arenas better. She jokes husbands must say: “I'll take you to see the naked old bitch and then I’m gambling.”
  • When Letterman reads out a list of men, Cher smiles the biggest for Gene Simmons. The name Michael Bolton elicits a “nooooo!”  Letterman askes "how many? and Cher says "we're not talking Cleopatra numbers."
  • November 13, 1987 was the airdate for the reunion with Sonny. On May 22, 1986 Cher called Letterman an asshole. For historians, Letterman said. Indeed, for historians. 
  • Discussions of Cher's gargantuan fortune seem to embarrass her.
  • Chaz thought about his gender change for 10-12 years. Letterman grapples with the difference between transgender and being gay. To my way of thinking: a gay man, for instance, likes men but also likes being a man. A man who wishes to become transgendered likes men too, but hates being a man.
  • Cher says she approves of Chaz's decision although throughout the process was not always calm about it. People have told Cher that Chaz is very brave (this got applause). 
  • They talked about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Paul Shaffer doesn’t know anybody “over there” and Cher says “there’s a cool factor…if they don’t think you are…” Letterman said it's all about timing (in a self-knowing way, almost like he would take care of it.)

Good Morning America-Nightline-20/20: Abc_cher_cynthia_101115_mn

The annoying Cynthia McFadden interviews. Yes, she annoys me…maybe through no fault of her own. She reminds me of an annoying woman I work with. But on some level I also think she reminds me of an annoying archetype, not quite smug, but smuggy. And I really do hate the big interview chopped up over three shows. Cheap, cheap, cheap. And you had to watch all three…because none of them aired the same soundbites.

Good Morning America called their segment “Cher Unplugged”

  • The intro claimed incorrectly that Cher has had a #1 hit in the last five decades.
  • There are still no clips available of the Vegas show…they always show Farewell Tour clips when talking about the Vegas show. Will we see a Vegas special soon??  Bette Milder's The Showgirl Must Go On special is airing New Year's Even on HBO. I wish I had HBO.
  • On Motherhood: Cher said maybe she should have had children when she was older.

Nightline called their segment “Pure Cher”

  • The intro compared her to the Statue of Liberty and claimed she has had a "hit record in last 5 decades."
  • When asked about toughness, Cher says "No one’s tough all the time."
  • She hates being called ma’am and "no Miss Cher."
  • When asked about her movie roles, she said, “This is my fault, I’m sure. I haven’t stretched myself. I've done comfortable things." (I'm telling you, play a villain!)
  • Cher likes Lady Gaga’s "balls to the wall" outfits. (I still think all her costume changes for the VMAs were a bit too much)
  • Regarding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Everything’s about being cool. Very little is about reality.”
  • She feels she's been a good mother "in fits and starts."

20/20:

  • The introduction traces her transformations from barefoot hippie (didn’t she always love shoes too much to ever go barefoot?) to sizzling singer to Oscar maven
  • This is Cher and Cynthia McFadden's 4th interview in 10 years.
  • Now the intro claims Cher has had "top 10 hits in five decades."
  • Cher says she was freightened for Chaz in the, beginning of her transgendering, feeling her doctor's  didn’t do due diligence on account of her celebrity. But that Chaz is "the same person. It made him happy."
  • When McFadden commented that now Cher has two sons, Cher said "I have 2 sons. Never thought that would be. You get what you get. You get what belongs to you.” That would have to be my favorite quote of all these interviews: you get what belongs to you.

ImagesCAHIZIN9 Jay Leno:

  • Leno and Cher talk about the specialness of getting her footprints at the Grauman’s Theater and her outfit snafu, the missing slip and the peek-a-boo turquoise g-string, Cher blanking on the spelling of her name. Where is the E? Jay said about adding Cher to the footprints: "You would've thought they’d have done it 20 years ago." Amen.
  • They talked about Cher dating Leno's friend Ron Zimmerman and Cher called their relationship "hillbilly cousins" and talked about meeting him on Facebook.

Parade Magazine:

  • They called her Malibu house "ponderously self-important."
  • Cher talked about having 4 miscarriages and about Sonny’s womanizing ("five women weren’t enough") and how she later asked him how he juggled all those women logistically?
  • She talked about Elijah's art shows and said he has been asked to design a Louis Vuitton label – considering the content of his last two shows, wouldn't it seem odd if he did that?

Vanity Fair:

  • Cher talks about Elijah's art show and says he has sold everything.
  • Cher says her kids both had the addictions of their fathers: heroin for Elijah, pain meds for Chaz but that Georgeanne and Cher didn’t get the addictions of their fathers. Georgeanne's Dad was alcoholic and Cher’s was addicted to heroin. Cher says she has "the constitution of a fruit fly."
  • Her Grandma recently died at age 96 and that she "was a mean bitch most of the time."
  • Interestingly, Cher's mom Georgia talks about her mother in the interview below: “my mother left when I was about 5…got custody of me at 12 and then she decided she didn’t want me. She told me to go back to my father." That sounds really awful.  How can that not affect you and your ability to mother? Affect your self esteem?
  • Cher speculated that "if sonny had agreed to disband Cher Enterprises and start all over again, I never would have left." She said he had such a tight grip.
  • She told a longer form of the old Johnny Carson story, where he kicks her out of the room.
  • Robert Camilletti still comes over to Christmas dinner.
  • Jen has been her personal assistant for 17 years; Deb has been with her for 34 years.
  • They called Bob Mackie "the sultan of sequins."

Whew! A lot of tidbits to slog through, no?

  

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