THE NIGHT I MADE PAUL McCARTNEY SMILE

1984 was 20 years since the Beatles arrived on the scene. Like others, I had 20 years of non-stop enjoyment from Beatles music and subsequently the solo career of Paul McCartney. And that has never stopped for almost 30 more years. 

In 1984, Paul McCartney decided to make a movie that he would write from his own script and his own music. It was called "Give My Regards to Broad Street."

In 1982, I started the world's first online (and only) showbiz entertainment service. By 1984, I was the main movie reviewer but had others reviewing as well. 

I looked forward to see an advanced preview of Paul's movie. I went to many studio movie previews with other reviewers every week.

To my absolute surprise, this became something extremely special when Paul and Linda McCartney walked in and sat down in the row in front of me just to the left! It was like a dream. I was going to go talk to him, but the studio executives guarding him were making it clear that he was not to be bothered.

The movie was like a big music video. It had its moments--like the production number for "Ballroom Dancing"--but was what it was.

And the room full of movie critics sat there clearly not overwhelmed as it played on.

When the movie ended and the credits came on, there was absolute silence in the room.

I looked over and saw Paul very uncomfortable by the total non-response.

This was the moment I was going to pay Paul McCartney back for 20 years of music heaven.

I started applauding loudly and wildly. Then a second person followed. And a third. Then the whole room followed in unison, probably more of a tribute to Paul for his musical legacy than his movie.

The famous Beatle now was smiling and I was the one that made this happen.

As I left the theater, a fan was outside.

"Paul McCartney's in there!," he said to me.

"Yes, I know."

Memorial Day Means More And More As You Get Older

When I was a child growing up in the late 50's and early 60's, Memorial Day was a free day that you got off from school. That is how every child thought about it. After all, that war which you knew that your dad and uncles were in was a LONG, LONG, TIME AGO. They rarely talked about it and what difference did it make? The thing that mattered now was hula hoops, Frisbees, Rock and Roll music, 31 Flavors, riding bicycles, Troll Dolls, sitcoms, popsicles, candy store, milk shakes, comic books, Good Humor man,  McDonalds 15 cent hamburgers, James Bond, baseball, board games and the whole world was just fine and dandy!
And it was always going to be like that.

As you got older, you got a lot smarter and you realized something.

Some people want wealth. Some people want fame. And some people want POWER.

And unfortunately, it is the MEGALOMANIACS that are attracted to POWER

I used to play a board game called RISK where you try and take over the world.

The problem is that the MEGALOMANIACS that are attracted to POWER don't want to play the
board game, they want to do the real thing.

The most dangerous of these was Hitler.

This was a crazed maniac that wanted to take over the world.

And if 400,000 American men and women -- had not sacrificed their own lives,
he would have done so.

So as you go to your baseball games, parties, raves, restaurants, rock concerts, malls and all the other things that you do for fun as part of the American culture, you have 400,000 Americans to thank who gave their own lives so you can enjoy yours.

And the 1.5 million active Americans in the military and the 1.5 million in reserve who stand guard
24 hours a day so you can continue to have a great time--because there is always another MEGALOMANIAC who wants to take it all away from you.

Rolling Stones Kick-Off 50th Anniversary Tour

The Rolling Stones kicked-off their 50th Anniversary Tour in Los Angeles tonight
and it was stunning!

Mick Jagger, nearing 70, still has the energy of an 18-year old and
dominates the spectacular 2-hour non-stop performance.

It was a completely sold-out crowd despite what all the press said earlier today.

The first 45 minutes were classics and then another 45 minutes of
less heard and performed tracks that were just as dynamic.

The last half hour was the top classics ending with a very satanic-red
staged version of Sympathy For the Devil, then Jumpin' Jack Flash and Satisfaction.

Some really nice touches were added like having the UCLA marching band
open the show by walking through the audience while doing "Satisfaction"
and later the Cal State Long Beach choir doing the famous vocal part
of "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

Mick Jagger is the Rolling Stones and you can only wonder how much
longer this will go on.

Other than Paul McCartney representing The Beatles in concert,
this was the ultimate.

Dedication Today of the George W. Bush Presidential Library

Neil Diamond Shines In Boston and Across the USA

If you don't know, for over 20 years, every baseball game at Boston's
Fenway Park has an audience stretch where the crowd sings
Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline."

The performer himself surprised the sell-out crowd by walking out
to lead the audience at today's game.

He said that he was bringing love from the rest of the country.

This has got to be one of the coolest things that
has happened in a week of tragedy in America.

Even topping this, every Major League Baseball team played the song
at their own stadiums today as a tribute to Boston.

For a moment it felt like the enthusiasm of the America of the 1950's.

Annette

She was just Annette.
She didn't need a last name.

Most baby boomers grew up with the "Mickey Mouse Club."

I loved the "Mickey Mouse Club"


















Annette was everybody's big sister that you wanted to have.

She was sweet and kind and loving.

I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to her a few years back.

The person on the TV show was the same person in real life.

There was absolutely no ego, none. There was no self-promotion.

Just the same wonderful person I grew up with.

Annette was a role model for millions of little girls that wanted to be
just like her.

Now the little girls have Lindsay Lohan, the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, Snooki
and the rest of the media trash.

No wonder little girls turn into selfish, self-centered, self indulgent, egocentric,
narcissistic brats.

Good Luck To You All In 50 Years When There Are No Rainforests Left

This year is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

50 years went by in a blink of an eye. So will the next 50 years.

These are the rainforests of South America.
They take carbon out of the atmosphere and process it into the oxygen you breathe.
The majority of medicines that are curing or indicate they can cure mankind's
most dreaded diseases have been found here. 
There are millions more that can be tested, but there is a problem.

 In 50 years there will be no rainforests left.
The trees that take up the size of a football field are being cut down every one second.

Man's desires for more Ikea furniture worldwide is apparently more important.

This is McDonald's. They are the biggest reason that the rainforests are being cut down.
The land is being cleared for more cattle ranches so the cheapest meat can be supplied
to McDonald's on a regular basis.

While your kids are becoming obese from the wonderful McDonald's experience,
by the time they reach late middle age and senior age, they are going to have trouble breathing.

And the cures that are hidden deep in these rainforests will never be known,
because the trees became new coffee tables.

If you think this is some kind of hippy thing, think again.

Governments and corporations must take some action and responsibility now.

Name A Member of THE TROGGS

Tell me the name of a member of THE TROGGS who had the worldwide
hit "Wild Thing"in the early 1960's.......

Okay. You can't.

But when Reg Presley, a member of the group died recently it
was worldwide major news.

So it's really the song that is the point of attraction.

This has happened recently with a number of memorable songs
and when an unknown member of the group dies it has been
international news.

What does this say?

It is amazing that a big song continues with a life of its own--
forever.

Songs freeze time for you.

Even 50 years later they are connected to all the emotions,
feelings and memories of what you were doing at the time.

As the babyboomers in these pop groups start reaching 70 and up,
we will be seeing more and more of these situations.

It's an incredible phenomenon that a song holds in a person's life.

Gilligan's Island 75-evening Marathon

 Gilligan's Island has 100 episodes.

I decided to get on an exercise bike every night for 100 evenings
and watch an episode per night.

Like most Americans, you have seen an episode here and there in
syndication over the last 40 years. I rarely watched it when it was
in its first run on CBS in the 60's.

After the first season, efforts were made to introduce a great deal
of fantasy situations to give it a new life. Many of those are very
clever and innovative. Sometimes they even spend great effort for
a 2-second sight gag.

By the third season, things become very predictable.
You basically know what's going to happen, how things
are going to turn out, how the characters will react.

But it's just a great deal of fun with a group of characters
that are a microcosm of society.

Gilligan is the labor--he does most of the work nobody else wants to do.
The Skipper is the politician/leader trying to hold everything together.
Mr. and Mrs. Howell are the wealthy and high society.
The Professor is the intelligentsia and educated class.
Ginger is the sex symbol.
Maryann is the girl next door and the most down to earth.

A number of questions come to mind after watching the entire series:

Why would the Howells take a cruise on a dinky boat with average
people when they could afford their own luxury yacht?
Why would they bring dozens of suitcases and wardrobe changes
with therm for a three-hour cruise?

When Gilligan continually messes up the chances for their survival
time after time, why don't they just ignore him and keep him away?

Why does everybody get so excited when the Howells try and bribe
them with money when money has no value on the island?

Why does Ginger go on a 3-hour cruise wearing an evening gown?

How come the Professor can make incredible inventions out of
coconuts, but he can't find a way to repair a hole in the boat?
In one episode he creates a sticky substance that will hold together
anything and we regularly see driftwood washing up on the shore.

I had the opportunity to talk with Bob Denver once.
He sounded just as enthusiastic as his character Gilligan.
You can read it on the left side of my main page
at www.eliotstein.com

Bobby Kennedy And Me

I had a cartoonist draw a picture of the time when I was 15 and met Bobby Kennedy in 1968, just a few weeks before he won the California primary. We were alone by his plane. A special memory that becomes more meaningful through the years.

Andrews Sisters vs. Kardashian Sisters

Andrews Sisters vs. Kardashian Sisters

Now that the last remaining member of the Andrews Sisters has passed away at 94,
the only sisters act we have left is the Kardashian Sisters.

A comparison.


The Andrews Sisters made life in America through the WW2 years
bearable.

The Kardashian Sisters make life in the 2010+ years unbearable.



The Andrews Sisters had immense talent.

The Kardashian Sisters have no talent.



The Andrews Sisters had a distinctive sound that was and still is
pleasing to the ear.

The Kardashian Sisters have a distinct sound of cats screeching.



The Andrews Sisters brought class and dignity to America.

The Kardashian Sisters bring shame and scorn to America.


The Andrews Sisters have maintained a legacy since the 1940s.

The Kardashian Sisters will hopefully go away soon.

Sound Of Music On BluRay

The Sound of Music on BluRay is a wonderful experience.

The film, almost 50 years old is already so perfect technically that
as a period piece it never loses its appeal or appears out of date.

Three scenes were outright awesome on BluRay:

Maria on mountaintop
 

Children singing Do-Re-Mi throughout Salzburg

Captain and Maria at night in gazebo


At age 13, having graduated 8th grade, my parents took my
brother and I to the Michael Todd Theater in Chicago to
see this radiant film in 70 mm during its first run.
Considering we were impoverished, I don't know how they managed to do that.
But it still holds a special moment for me--anytime I see
it.

 
Robert Wise as director did so many things that are
not noticed by a 13-year old.

The awkward glances and tension
between Maria and the Baroness.
 
The passion of the Captain tearing up the Nazi flag
as his loyalty to Austria is not corruptable.
 

The bittersweet breakup of the Captain and
the Baroness: heart-wrenching and
reality based at the same time.

 


















As a 13-year old, the Captain and the Baroness seemed
like really old people.

The Baroness has gotten really, really hot over the years.
 
Liesl (Charmian Carr) always had the most stunning
blue eyes. In BluRay they are magnificent.

   
There will never be a movie like this again.
Younger generations would never go see something
like this unless you stick vampires in it.

 

Americans Have Been Responding Accordingly

 

 

Sean Hannity's audience has diminished by 50%.

Bill O'Reilly's audience has diminished by 33%.

Americans are speaking.

They do not even want to bother to listen anymore
to right-winged robots who make everything up
and whatever they say is going to happen--
the exact opposite occurs.

Americans made it very clear they are tired of these
people when they voted for President in 2012.
 

   

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

December 14, 2012

ROCKERS GETTING OLD

WHEN I TURNED ON MSNBC ON THE COMPUTER I THOUGHT THEY WERE STREAMING THE BURBANK SENIOR CENTER TALENT SHOW FOR SOME REASON, BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE ROLLING STONES. ALTHOUGH ALL THESE ACTS WERE WONDERFUL IN CONTRIBUTING THEIR MUSICAL TALENTS TO THE FUNDRAISING CAUSE, THESE FOLKS ARE ALL GETTING REALLY OLD.

The WHO should change their name to GUESS WHO.

Who's that unknown old man they are letting talk? Oh!...that's Billy Crystal.

Mick Jagger looked like Phyllis Diller in drag.

At one point Mick Jagger was running around the stage and started unbuttoning his shirt—I thought he was having a heart attack.

Bon Jovi should change his name to Bon Voyage.

Billy Joel is getting so huge, his profile looks like Buddha playing the piano.

Pink Floyd looked like Pink Flawed.

And Paul McCartney--

 

 He's Still Wonderful.

 

Beautiful Surprise Bird Show

I was walking today in Burbank, CA.

What I would see would be a beautiful surprise.

I saw 50 birds flying up in the sky, something not uncommon,
but this group was the noisiest, shrillest, loudest that I can ever
recall hearing.

They started circling up above near me.

At first it was like Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds,"
I didn't know what they were going to do next.

And they got noisier with a really scary sound.

They suddenly all descended on the tree in front of me
and I thought I was seeing things.

The only time I've ever seen a parrot is in a cage at the pet store,
or at a business, or in TV or movies or at the zoo.

I realized they were a group of wild parrots!

They quieted down. And then 2 minutes later started their shrill
squawks all together again and flew off into the distance.

People came out of houses to find out what the unusual noise was.

It was a first for me, seeing so many parrots up close together.

They look so mischevious.

You almost expected them to start saying funny things.

I immediately researched and found out that they do travel
all over Los Angeles county and migrate from tree to tree.

It was a stunning display of nature.

IT'S ELECTION NIGHT AT ROMNEY HEADQUARTERS

 

FOX NEWS SUDDENLY SHOCKS ITS

VIEWERS WITH AN ANNOUNCEMENT

ROMNEY REPUBLICANS AT THE
 ELECTION HEADQUARTERS
RESPOND TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT: