Emmy Highlights

So, my roommate Brett and I turned on the Primetime Emmys last night (remember when they were just called 'The Emmys' and they didn't have to distinguish from 'Daytime' and 'Primetime'? Ahh... those were the days!) in order to watch the wonder and amazement that was 'the Primetime Emmys'!

...man, was I disappointed...

Some highlights:

• I'm not sure who's decision it was to make the five contestants for 'Best Reality Show Host' the hosts for the show, but whoever they are, they need to be fired. Badly. Worst decision ever! The egos were enormous - I'm amazed they were able to fit Ryan Seacrest ("American Idol") and Howie Mandel ("Deal or No Deal") on the same stage! Tom Bergeron ("Dancing With the Stars") and Jeff Probst ("Survivor") were just awkward, and, though she was gorgeous (as always), Heidi Klum ("Project Runway") contributed nothing. The opening bit ("We have... nothing planned!") was like watching a train wreck and it really didn't get better from there. The best bit with them all night wasn't even theirs, but Jimmy Kimmel's, who played the announcement of the winner like an episode of "American Idol" - announcing that each nominee was "in the final two" and then taking a commercial break right before announcing the winner. When the winner was announced, Kimmel held out a card with the name of the winner - Jeff Probst of "Survivor" - just like on "Survivor".
• Jeremy Piven: "Do you want me to just stand up here and talk for twelve minutes? That was the whole intro!"
  
• Steve Martin showed everyone what true comedic genius really is. Had the Academy just let him (or another funny comedian) host, the show would've been better by far. His honorary award to Dick Smothers was as hilarious as it was heartfelt.
• Ricky Gervais punking on Steve Carrell to hand over the Emmy he won last year (that John Stewart and Stephen Colbert 'awarded' to Carrell as Gervais was in absentia). As a diehard fan of the British "Office," I liked seeing Carrell get his comeuppance at the hands of a better comedian!
• Don Rickles! If you didn't see it, check YouTube or something! Dude had me in stitches all night! Even Kathy Griffin seemed to be losing her composure - which seemed odd.
• Neil Patrick Harris: "Thanks to Howie Mandel's incessant prattling, our bit has been cut."
  Kristen Chenoweth: "Bitter, party of two!"
• Barry Sonnenfeld: "Love television, fear the Internet."
• "John Adams" took home bucco awards! I always feel a small personal victory when Paul Giamatti wins anything, so it was awesome to see him take home "Best Leading Actor in a Miniseries or Made-For-TV Movie"! I also loved the exchange between Sally Field and Tom Hanks when she presented him the award for "Best Miniseries" (Hanks executive produced). It went a little something like this:
  Sally Field: "How you been, son?"
  Tom Hanks: "Fine, Mama. (pause) Mama always said, 'Life...' Ah, forget it!"
• Craig Ferguson: "Brooke... I've always respected you."
  Brooke Shields: "Is that your hand on my @$$?"
  Craig Ferguson: "Yes... and it's respecting you."
• There was a lot of hooplah regarding a "Laugh-In" cast reunion. It was unbearably cheesy! If you didn't used to watch the show, you were pretty much up a creek in terms of understanding what the heck was going on... and a lot of them just weren't as funny as they used to be.
  

All in all, I suppose the show wasn't too bad, but the hosts did drag the proceedings down a bit. Towards the end, presenters were just running out, saying, "We're running out of time! Here are the nominees!" The writer's strike made for a pretty lackluster season, this I know - but, hopefully, with things back to normal, next year will pick up and things will improve dramatically!

My Very Own BBQ Sauce Recipe

My grandparents came down this weekend and so I whipped up some of my homemade barbecue sauce for them to take back with them. It came highly recommended - my sister, who is pretty picky about what she eats (and is very selective about her barbecue sauces), really enjoys it. So, I thought I'd share the recipe with you. I find it works best when you smother it over leftover pot roast, but it also tastes good with grilled chicken.

Stephen's Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients*:

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped**
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or thinly sliced
  
• extra virgin olive oil
  
• pinch of salt
  
• 2 c. ketchup
• 1/2-1 c. mustard (depending on how mustardy you want it)
  
• 2 tbsp. dark molasses
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I like Lea & Perrins)
• 3 splashes of hot sauce (optional - I like Frank's Red Hot)
  

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, saute shallot and garlic over medium-low heat until soft.
2. Once shallots and garlic are softened, add ketchup and mustard and stir everything together until it starts to bubble.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stirring after each addition.
4. Reduce to low heat and let simmer, covered, for a few minutes, then remove from heat. By now, it should be reddish-brown in color***. Let stand for a couple minutes before transporting to the fridge. (If you wanted to add pot roast, now would be a good time as it reheats the pot roast to eating temperature.) Ideally, you'll want this to cool to give the flavors time to marry together. Then, spread over grilled items or use as a dipping sauce!
   

* (Note: All the 'liquid' measurements - ketchup, mustard, liquid smoke, etc. - are estimates. This recipe can really be tailored to the individual tastes of the maker.)
** Feel free to substitute the shallot with a small onion. Works just as well.
*** For a darker, sweeter sauce, double the amount of dark molasses you use.

Friday's Top Five - Best Movie Casts

Sorry to have gone so long without an update. Life's been pretty hectic as of late. Now... on with the list!

In my mind, there's little that can make a good movie even better than a fantastic ensemble. Some movies are lucky to have one or two good-to-great actors in order to bolster sales and increase viewership, but there is not like a plurality of those kinds of actors to make it an instant classic! Here are some of my favorite ensemble casts:

5. L.A. Confidential (1997)
Starring Academy Award winners like Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, and Kim Basinger (in the role that won her that Oscar), nominees like James Cromwell, David Strathairn, and Danny DeVito, and Satellite Award nominee Guy Pearce, L.A. Confidential is a story about love, loss, and betrayal in a town where such words are more commonplace than shamed actors. Each actor in the film is simply spectacular, particularly Crowe and Pearce, who play two sides of the same coin as the only honest cops in a crooked department. Easily one of the better casts assembled in recent years, it's amazing they lost the SAG 'Best Ensemble' to *shudder* The Full Monty.

4. A Few Good Men (1992)
In a cast led by three-time Oscar nominee Tom Cruise (in that cocky role he was born to play), three-time Oscar winner Jack Nicholson, and two-time Golden Globe nominee Demi Moore, A Few Good Men (directed by Oscar nominee Rob Reiner) also stars the ubiquitous Kevin Bacon, the amazing Kiefer Sutherland, the hilarious Kevin Pollack, and the incomparable J.T. Walsh along with cameos by Christopher Guest, Noah Wyle, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Based on the Aaron Sorkin play, the story has it all - intruigue, murder, suspense, humor, and sharp banter and dialogue... all delivered by a truly capable and worthy cast. Though often one-dimensional, Cruise holds his own against Nicholson (no easy feat) and Sutherland lights up the screen, giving off a raw dislikability that few others can master.

3. The Usual Suspects (1995)
A film that, for me, became an immediate classic (particularly because of its amazing ending), The Usual Suspects has one of the greatest casts I've even seen. Think about it. Gabriel Byrne. Kevin Spacey. Chazz Palminteri. Benicio del Toro. Pete Postlethwaite. Kevin Pollack. Heck, even Stephen Baldwin turns in a decent performance (one of his only, that I've seen). The ensemble here performed so seemlessly and so brilliantly that there could be no doubt in anyone's mind that these men were all hardened criminals who would stab you in the face at a moment's notice. A brilliant ensemble cast!

2. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Based on a David Mamet play (which, in retrospect, should have made my list of favorite plays a couple weeks ago), this film stars Oscar winners Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, and Alan Arkin and nominees Ed Harris and Alec Baldwin, and Cannes Best Actor Jonathan Pryce... and they work together beautifully! Jack Lemmon called this cast the best ensemble he'd ever worked with. From a Hollywood legend of Lemmon's caliber, that's high praise indeed! If you don't like language, you won't like GGR, but if you can handle it, this movie is gripping, human, and brilliantly-acted!

1. Heat (1995)
One of the greatest ensembles I've ever seen. It's incredibly historic as well, being the first movie in which the legendary actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro actually appeared onscreen together. Not only does this movie feature these two cinematic giants, but it also features Val Kilmer (The Saint), Jon Voight (Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance), Tom Sizemore (Black Hawk Down), Diane Venora (Romeo + Juliet), Amy Brenneman (TV's "Judging Amy"), Ashley Judd (Kiss the Girls), Myketli Williamson (Forrest Gump), Wes Studi (Last of the Mohicans), Ted Levine (Silence of the Lambs, TV's "Monk"), Dennis Haysbert (TV's "24" and the All State commercials), Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta, Closer), Danny Trejo (Desperado, Con Air), William Fitchner (The Longest Yard, TV's "Prison Break"), Hank Azaria (Run Fatboy Run, TV's "The Simpsons"), Tone Loc (singer of "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina"), and even a young Jeremy Piven (TV's "Entourage")! With a cast like this, it's no wonder that Heat - directed by Michael Mann (Academy Award nominated director of Last of the Mohicans, The Insider, Ali, and Collateral) - ranks as one of my all-time favorite action movies and my all-time favorite ensemble film cast!

Honorable mentions: Hamlet (1996), Best in Show (2000), Pulp Fiction (1994), Reservoir Dogs (1992), A Time to Kill (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998)

So, what are some of your favorite movie ensembles?

Should I put this on my resume?

Or, for that matter, should you? Don't we owe it all to ourselves to call TIME Magazine on what is quite possibly the lamest "Person of the Year" ever and put it on all of our resumes, business cards, etc.? Would it be unethical? Am I a year and a half too late with this observation (seeing as how we were all TIME's 2006 'Person of the Year')?

Friday's Top Five - Plays

Well, it's that time of year again - fall play season! This year, I'm directing my first show at CCHS which has me very excited, but I know it'll be a lot of work! With that in mind, I've put together a list of my top five favorite shows! Enjoy!

5. "You Can't Take It With You" by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart
One of the funniest ensemble shows you can find is "You Can't Take It With You". A large enough cast to accommodate even the largest of theatre programs, this show has big heart and even bigger laughs. I was first introduced to this show in the fall of 2003 when we did it up at Olivet. I played Boris Kolenkhov, the Russian ballet teacher, and had a great deal of fun with everyone in the cast. Sure, it's a bit preachy and moralistic... but, written at the height of the Great Depression, how could it afford not to be?
The great story of an eccentric family with a young daughter who's madly in love with the son of a wealthy, uptight businessman, "You Can't Take It With You" follows the Sycamore family through their daughter Alice's courtship with an insane cast of characters like something out of sheer insanity! A family with so many varied interests - ballet, playwrighting, xylophoning, masks, fireworks, candies, printing, painting, snakes, and well, too many other things to name - can all become lost in the shuffle at times, but the play remains humorous, despite some obvious dating of the events and happenings.

4. "The Boys Next Door" by Tom Griffin
When I tell them I've played a mentally retarded man, most people always seem to wonder how I did it without offending people. But, played with honesty (thanks, Prof. Cohagan!), the part of Norman Bulansky became heartfelt and sincere. In fact, this play has more heart than any I've ever seen and, after performing it at ONU in the fall of 2004, it became an immediate favorite. Not many people know of it outside of theatre people, but I always feel I have a connection with those few individuals. Like we've stumbled on something great that the rest of the world is happily oblivious of. Check this show out, if you get the opportunity.
Entering the world of four mentally retarded men, "The Boys Next Door" is humorous in its honesty of their portrayal. Centering on their burnt-out social worker, Jack, "Boys" takes us into the lives of Arnold (an OCD man with a penchant for the dramatic), Norman (a loveable mentally retarded man who loves donuts and his girlfriend Sheila), Lucien (a severely retarded black man who can't read, but loves Spider-Man), and Barry (a marginal schizophrenic who pretends to be a golf pro). Taking the audience to unbelievably high feel-good moments to tear-inducing sadness and back to raucous laughter seems all at once natural and cathartic. Easily, one of the best shows I've ever done!

3. "The Curious Savage" by John Patrick
The only show I've ever done twice, "The Curious Savage" stands apart as one of the funniest shows I've ever done (and also as one of the most fun). My first trip was in the spring of '03 at Olivet where I played a violin-playing statistician-turned-mental patient. The second was in the summer of '05 when I played the overbearing senator whose step-mother had been locked in an institution. Both times, I had such unbelievable fun that when the time came to choose my first show to direct at CCHS, I couldn't think of a better show to put on.
Tracing the life of an eccentric elderly woman who has been committed to an institution by her stepchildren after the death of her husband, "The Curious Savage" draws a fine line between those whom society deems 'insane' and 'dangerous' and society itself. The real trick, however, is that it does so with a charm and wit that is seldom seen in the theatre anymore. The characters it portrays are well-rounded, funny, and, probably most importantly, honest. I find myself relating to the "wicked" stepchildren, while at the same time loving the "guests" for their charm and sincerity.

2. "12 Angry Men" by Reginald Rose
Though I've never done the play, I've been a fan of Rose's "12 Angry Men" for quite a long time. When given the opportunity to see the Broadway touring company last spring, I leapt at the chance and was surely not disappointed. Rose creates a fantastic sense of drama that continues to be heightened throughout the show as these men compete with the heat and with each other. The show deals with the nature of truth and the power of a single dissenting voice. This is a show I would love to either be in or direct some day... though I'm not sure if either is a real likelihood at this point, unfortunately.
The story of a jury trying a murder case, Reginald Rose creates tension, animosity, and drama... and shoves it all into a cramped jury room. As the verdicts of 'guilty' resound around the room, only Juror #8 has the audacity to offer a plea of 'not guilty'. From there, the action begins as he slowly convinces every man in the jury room over to his point of view. As powerful as it is uncomfortable, "12 Angry Men" stands as a true triumph of theatre.

1. "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett
This one falls amongst the most classic stories in theatre. Certainly one of the most popular of the 'absurdist' style (though probably not falling into that grouping itself), Beckett painted "Godot" around two imbecilic 'heroes' who have become theatrical legends. Vladmir and Estragon (or Didi and Gogo, respectively) are constantly waiting for the titular Godot but never seen to be able to remember exactly where they are or why. Playing with the philosophies of existensialism, "Godot" is often intentionally contradictory, leaving the audience as confused as the main characters. Fun additions are the bombastic Pozzo and the ironically-named Lucky, who torment Didi and Gogo (though not maliciously).
I first read this show in college, but saw it performed in the spring of 2007 at Olivet, directed by my good friend Matt McMahan. Expertly performed with perfect humor and appropriate amounts of despair, I was quite impressed with the production. I quickly found my own copy of the script and read it once every couple of years or so. This is the play that opened me up to the world of Beckett, so I'm incredibly thankful for that as well.

Honorable mentions: "Death of a Salesman" (Miller), "The Bald Soprano" (Ionesco), "A Doll's House" (Ibsen), "Tartuffe" (Moliere), "War to End All Wars" (Gebby), "Boy Kissing" (McMahan)

Note: I didn't include Shakespeare or musicals intentionally. That's another top five for another Friday.

Brad Meltzer, "The Book of Lies," and Superman's House

One of my favorite authors - political thriller novelist and DC Comic writer, Brad Meltzer - asked me for my help and I couldn't, in good conscience, turn him down for two reasons: (1.) I'm a big fan of his previous novels, "The Book of Fate" and "The Zero Game" (as well as his runs on "Identity Crisis"and "Justice League of America") and (2.) it's for a great cause! Check out the below links and videos and, if you're like me, check out his new book, "The Book of Lies," which hits stands today! Particularly check out the last video and link as well as the FAQ section below it, which details what it's all about and what you can do to help! Thanks, everyone!

"The Book of Lies" Conspiracy Trailer
starring Joss Whedon, Christopher Hitchens, Damon Lindelof, Brian K. Vaughn, and A.J. Jacobs

TheBookIsReal.com

"The Book of Lies" Review

BradMeltzer.com

Save the Seigel House

OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com

The following was attached to the e-mail I received this morning at midnight:

FAQ

What's this all about again?
Today is the official launch of The Siegel & Shuster Society, with a celebrity charity auction that'll raise money to preserve the home of Jerry Siegel, creator of Superman. When you go to Brad Meltzer's charitable website www.OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com, you can:

• bid online for original Superman and comic book art and items by top writers and artists
• buy a Siegel & Shuster Society t-shirt (designed by the legendary graphic designer Chip Kidd)
• or just donate to the good cause.

The best way to show it is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25R2kcJxQuc
All proceeds of the auction go to the restoration of the Siegel house.

Who's involved in the auction?
This is a coming together of an entire community. The full list includes: Stephen Colbert, Jim Lee, Brian Michael Bendis, Brad Meltzer, Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Joe Quesada, Neil Gaiman, Alex Ross, Dave Gibbons, Jeph Loeb, Murphy Anderson, Ed Brubaker, John Cassaday, Gene Ha, Greg Rucka, George Perez, Michael Turner, Adam Kubert, Andy Kubert, Judd Winick, Frank Cho, Eric Powell, Tim Sale, Walt Simonson, Joe Staton, Eric Wight, Dave Mandel, Mike Mignola, Rags Morales, Bill Morrison, Ivan Reis, John Romita Jr., Jason Palmer, Amanda Conner, Geoff Darrow, Ron Garney, Renato Guedes, Heroes, Dave Johnson, Chris Bachalo, Mike Bair, Allen Bellman, Dan Brereton, Ernie Chan, Travis Charest, and Ian Churchill, YOU, and even Jerry Siegel (see below).

How did this come about?
While researching his new novel, The Book of Lies, Brad Meltzer visited the boyhood home of Jerry Siegel in Cleveland, Ohio, where Superman was created. As Meltzer says, "The house where Google was founded is preserved. The garage where Hewlett Packard was founded is protected. But the house where Superman was born? I was in shock." After contacting dozens of comic book creators -- and thanks to the hard work of many in the city of Cleveland -- The Siegel & Shuster Society was created and is dedicated to commemorating and celebrating the creation of Superman in Cleveland by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. "I think sometimes people take things like this for granted because it started in cartoon form, but this is a house were modern mythology was created," Brain Michael Bendis adds. "Mythology that will never die away or disappear. There is no difference, to me, between this house and Mark Twain's house. We have to honor and exalt such creation."

What are the items in the auction?
You can win a walk-on part on Heroes, VIP seats to the Colbert Report, original Superman art (go see the art!), have your name in Bendis or Brubaker or Rucka's comic, or Meltzer's next novel. There's a rare original pre-Superman movie script from Geoff Johns, signed by Richard Donner. And Joanne Siegel told Meltzer that before Jerry Siegel died, he signed six Superman t-shirts that no one ever knew existed -- and then told her that if their family ever needed money, she should sell the shirts. Instead, she donated one of them to be auctioned off here. The signature is on a Superman: Quest For Peace(!) t-shirt. C'mon, baby, it's Jerry Siegel on a Quest for Peace shirt!

What can you do?
Forward and digg the video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25R2kcJxQuc ). Go buy a Siegel & Shuster Society t-shirt. They're cool. They're designed by Chip Kidd. They can't be bought anywhere else. Bid on some of the auctions and spread the word by sharing the video, sigs, and www.OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com auction with your facebook, myspace, and live-breathing friends.

How much is the Siegel And Shuster Foundation trying to raise?
Depends on how successful we are. Phase 1 involves working on the exterior of the house: securing the roof, making sure the paint isn't rotting, doing the concrete work. That will hopefully protect the place from the outside. Joe Shuster's house (a few blocks away) was in such disrepair, it was torn down. The first goal is to collect $50,000 to deal with the outside. If we do that, then we'll go and tackle the much-needed-repairs on the inside.

Who lives there now?
The house is located in one of the tougher neighborhoods of Cleveland and is currently occupied by an African-American couple who have lived there for approximately 20 years, who have put up with all of us who have come visiting, but who don't have the money to do these repairs. Rather than kick anyone out on the street, the goal is to repair this place for them. Why? It's the right thing to do. In return, The Siegel & Shuster Society has the right to buy the house when it eventually goes up for sale.

Is there a long-term goal to make a museum?
The long-term goal is still being decided, and that's why you're invited to join The Siegel & Shuster Society and help us with those plans. Meetings are held monthly in Cleveland -- when you buy a shirt, they'll have your name. But one of the dreams is that one day, buses full of students will drive from all over Ohio, from Michigan, from any nearby state, and come to the fully-restored house -- covered and decorated with children's artwork inside -- and see where one of the world's greatest dreams was born. Go to www.OrdinaryPeopleChangeTheWorld.com to make it happen.