Wolfsburg have made it clear they have no intention of selling Ricardo Rodriguez, despite rumours linking the Swiss left-back with a move to Manchester United.
Monday, 21 July 2014
Steven Gerrard made the right decision to retire from international football, says Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher believes that his former Liverpool and England team-mate Steven Gerrard has made the right decision in retiring from international football.
Mats Hummels close to joining Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund
Mats Hummels looks set to join Manchester United this week from Borussia Dortmund with the two clubs remained locked in talks ahead of the prospective move.
England failed Steven Gerrard and turned him into a mediocrity on national duty
Steven Gerrard has retired from international football after 114 caps and last month, just before his final cap, Chief Sports Writer Martin Samuel wrote about how England failed their captain.
George Takei Chats About The Next Generation of Archie Comics
We (accidentally) broke the news to George Takei that Archie died, protecting
George's comic book pal Kevin Keller.
Although he was saddened to hear the news, he looked on the bright side and said, "the next generation is coming and Kevin Keller is out and happy and that's the new generation, so I guess they're handing the torch over to the new generation where being gay isn't a big thing."
George also had some poignant things to say about changes in media and people's way of thinking in 2014.
"Media, or in this case comics, are influenced by the changes that are happening in society," Takei said. "By them embracing that, we change and more people are stopping to think 'maybe they are right.'"
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Man Sends Wife Spreadsheet Of All Her Excuses Not To Have Sex
The key to improving intimacy is creating a spreadsheet to document all the times you felt rejected and then emailing said spreadsheet to your partner, right? Wrong.
For some reason, though, one unnamed man presumably thought it would be a good idea to do just that. So, he set up a three-columned spreadsheet of all the times he initiated sex with his wife over the course of six weeks. In column A he recorded the date (June 3 to July 16); in column B he included the response (yes or no) and in column C he wrote down the excuse his wife used against having sex on a particular night.
Someone claiming to be the wife took the spreadsheet to Reddit and, under the username throwwwwaway29, shared it with the /r/relationships community, writing: "My husband [M26] sent me [F26] an immature, inflammatory email as I was driving to the airport for a 10-day work trip. Now he has cut contact."
Deadspin's The Concourse blog published the woman's full description, which has since been converted to a locked post on Reddit, of what occurred:
Responses to the woman's post were mixed. Some sided with her.
"If someone had constructed a spreadsheet of reasons why I wouldn't have sex with them, it would make me instantly want to pounce on their c--k and worship them like the god of sex they clearly are," one user wrote sarcastically. "No wait -- it would make me feel nauseous and like I didn't want them anywhere near me. That's beyond pathetic."
Some sided with the husband.
"[I]f someone refused to have sex with me over & over & over again despite my repeated attempts, culminating in them only agreeing to it 3 times in 7 weeks, and they used the same excuses each time, excuses which could be easily remedied, it would make me feel like they didn't want me anywhere near them," another user wrote.
Others just noted the obvious communication issues within the relationship.
Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the sexual entitlement here is pretty undeniable. So is the immaturity.
"I'm not a marriage counselor," writes Bob Powers of Someecards, "but I'm pretty sure that if you and the spouse aren't sleeping together as much as you'd like, the way to turn her on is not with passive-aggressive use of Microsoft Office."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
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For some reason, though, one unnamed man presumably thought it would be a good idea to do just that. So, he set up a three-columned spreadsheet of all the times he initiated sex with his wife over the course of six weeks. In column A he recorded the date (June 3 to July 16); in column B he included the response (yes or no) and in column C he wrote down the excuse his wife used against having sex on a particular night.
Someone claiming to be the wife took the spreadsheet to Reddit and, under the username throwwwwaway29, shared it with the /r/relationships community, writing: "My husband [M26] sent me [F26] an immature, inflammatory email as I was driving to the airport for a 10-day work trip. Now he has cut contact."
Deadspin's The Concourse blog published the woman's full description, which has since been converted to a locked post on Reddit, of what occurred:
Yesterday morning, while in a taxi on the way to the airport, Husband sends a message to my work email which is connected to my phone. He's never done this, we always communicate in person or by text. I open it up, and it's a sarcastic diatribe basically saying he won't miss me for the 10 days I'm gone. Attached is a SPREADSHEET of all the times he has tried to initiate sex since June 1st, with a column for my 'excuses,' using verbatim quotes of why I didn't feel like having sex at that very moment. According to his 'document', we've only had sex 3 times in the last 7 weeks, out of 27 'attempts' on his part.
Responses to the woman's post were mixed. Some sided with her.
"If someone had constructed a spreadsheet of reasons why I wouldn't have sex with them, it would make me instantly want to pounce on their c--k and worship them like the god of sex they clearly are," one user wrote sarcastically. "No wait -- it would make me feel nauseous and like I didn't want them anywhere near me. That's beyond pathetic."
Some sided with the husband.
"[I]f someone refused to have sex with me over & over & over again despite my repeated attempts, culminating in them only agreeing to it 3 times in 7 weeks, and they used the same excuses each time, excuses which could be easily remedied, it would make me feel like they didn't want me anywhere near them," another user wrote.
Others just noted the obvious communication issues within the relationship.
Regardless of who is right and who is wrong, the sexual entitlement here is pretty undeniable. So is the immaturity.
"I'm not a marriage counselor," writes Bob Powers of Someecards, "but I'm pretty sure that if you and the spouse aren't sleeping together as much as you'd like, the way to turn her on is not with passive-aggressive use of Microsoft Office."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
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Sunday, 20 July 2014
'Gotham' On Fox: Talking Superheroes And Cops With The Man Behind The Show
One of the most hotly anticipated fall shows is Fox's "Gotham," which chronicles the career of police detective James Gordon, the man who goes on to be Commissioner Gordon in the Batman universe.
The opening moments of the "Gotham" pilot, which will be screened next week at Comic-Con in San Diego, depict the murder of young Bruce Wayne's parents -- the cornerstone of the Batman myth. But while Wayne and his butler Alfred are part of the show, the drama doesn't revolve around them. "Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Gordon, who is uneasily partnered with the shady cop Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue).
At a panel discussion of "Gotham" at the Television Critics Association press tour on Sunday, executive producer Bruno Heller discussed making a superhero show that is essentially without a superhero.
"The show is all about, how do you deal with crime at this level when there are no superheroes," Heller said. "It's about ordinary, mortal men and women and the struggle they are engaged in" to keep crime and corruption from overwhelming an increasingly chaotic city.
"To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," Heller added. "The difference is, superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the possible -- the physically possible. This is about people trying to overcome real problems as opposed to trying to learn how to fly. … Certainly for me, the really interesting parts of these stories are the origin stories -- as soon as you're into the capes and costumes, it's less interesting than seeing how they got there."
Heller said that the show, which is set in an indeterminate past that melds boxy '70s and '80s cars with flip phones and brooding film-noir elements, will stick to the core, "canonical" elements of the Batman mythology. But he made it clear that "Gotham" won't shy away from adding to or altering the stories that fans may know from the films or comic books.
For example, Jada Pinkett Smith's character, underworld boss Fish Mooney, is a new creation for "Gotham," but the pilot also features a number of well-known characters from the Batman universe. Heller noted that much of the first year's overarching plot will chronicle the rise of Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin) and his power struggles with Mooney, but it remains to be seen how other characters, such as Selina Kyle and Edward Nygma, will be woven into the overall narrative.
In an interview with several journalists after the TCA panel, Heller was asked about one element of the pilot: The introduction of a character named Ivy Pepper, who of course instantly brought Poison Ivy to mind. Without giving too much away, Heller sketched out a season one path for the character that appears to vary from past depictions of Poison Ivy. (IGN has more details on what Heller said about Ivy Pepper and another character who may or may not be the Joker.)
"It's really about being able to tell the secret histories" of the characters, Heller said. "If you just re-tell the stories exactly as they've been told before, while you're being true to the created mythology, you're not really adding anything to it, so you have to find ways of [coming up with] more."
The good news is that Heller and his writers, who have to run major story ideas past the DC Comics' brain trust, aren't hemmed in by an overly dense Jim Gordon mythology. A few ideas have been shot down, Heller said, but it's been generally clear sailing.
"Because we're dealing with pre-Batman period, there are a few issues of chronology that will come up later that will be tricky, but at this stage, we've got pretty much free rein," he said.
I asked Heller how the show would balance the crime or criminal of the week with serialized storytelling.
"That's the biggest question for us as well. We know the answer, but it's a tough balance," Heller said. "They're cops, Gordon and Bullock, they're the center of the show. Every week, there will be a standalone story or case that they're investigating. We combine that with the serialized elements as we roll forward. Occasionally, when that serialized element reaches a climax, we will do fully serialized episodes that don't have a closed-ended case.
"TV has become more about binge-viewing and DVRs and all the rest of it, so there's more space for that," added Heller, who created CBS' "The Mentalist" and HBO's "Rome." "The networks are more [accepting of that]. Five years ago, no one wanted that. ... Now it's balanced by the fact that the appetite for serialized storytelling is that much stronger. Then the responsibility becomes telling that serialized story in as exciting and satisfying a way as possible. You've also got to tell the standalone stories, and you're never quite sure whether you've got the balance right."
Heller also expanded on the reason to make "Gotham" much more about Jim Gordon and the city's criminals than about the caped crusader who comes to the city's rescue years after his parents' death.
"When you have a superhero on the screen, ordinary people are kind of diminished, and you're just waiting for the superhero to arrive," Heller noted. "So how do you do a DC story on TV? Concentrate on the ordinary, real people."
Though I understand Heller's reasoning, I'd respectfully disagree with aspects of that last statement. One thing the CW's "Arrow" has done well is depict a superhero character who is clearly flawed and whose occasional failures add depth to the emotional narrative, and the roster of worthwhile characters on that show means that scenes without Oliver are far from dead weight. And I've only seen the pilot for "The Flash," which arrives on the CW this fall, but it also has a promising ensemble and a similarly layered lead character -- one who certainly has not reliably mastered his new powers by the time the pilot ends. One thing the pilots for both CW shows had: a lively energy, something the more labored "Gotham" sometimes lacks.
Clearly these are very different shows with divergent tones and goals, and from his comments, it appears Heller has thought hard about how to make "Gotham" work in the long term. I'll write more about the show close to its Sept. 22 premiere, but my chief concern about the "Gotham" pilot, which is generally solid, is that it retains the grim tone of the Christopher Nolan films without also offering those movies' style, scope and visionary thrills. There's a somewhat strained quality to the pilot that makes Pinkett Smith's lively performance as Fish Mooney that much more necessary.
Will "Gotham" ultimately become as addictive as "Arrow" or wrestle with the kinds of lumbering problems that affected "Marvel's Agents of Shield" during most of its debut season? There's no way to tell, but if Heller can inject some "Rome"-style complexity and character-driven storytelling into this evolving Batman backstory, it could be a worthwhile ride.
The opening moments of the "Gotham" pilot, which will be screened next week at Comic-Con in San Diego, depict the murder of young Bruce Wayne's parents -- the cornerstone of the Batman myth. But while Wayne and his butler Alfred are part of the show, the drama doesn't revolve around them. "Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Gordon, who is uneasily partnered with the shady cop Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue).
At a panel discussion of "Gotham" at the Television Critics Association press tour on Sunday, executive producer Bruno Heller discussed making a superhero show that is essentially without a superhero.
"The show is all about, how do you deal with crime at this level when there are no superheroes," Heller said. "It's about ordinary, mortal men and women and the struggle they are engaged in" to keep crime and corruption from overwhelming an increasingly chaotic city.
"To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," Heller added. "The difference is, superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the possible -- the physically possible. This is about people trying to overcome real problems as opposed to trying to learn how to fly. … Certainly for me, the really interesting parts of these stories are the origin stories -- as soon as you're into the capes and costumes, it's less interesting than seeing how they got there."
Heller said that the show, which is set in an indeterminate past that melds boxy '70s and '80s cars with flip phones and brooding film-noir elements, will stick to the core, "canonical" elements of the Batman mythology. But he made it clear that "Gotham" won't shy away from adding to or altering the stories that fans may know from the films or comic books.
For example, Jada Pinkett Smith's character, underworld boss Fish Mooney, is a new creation for "Gotham," but the pilot also features a number of well-known characters from the Batman universe. Heller noted that much of the first year's overarching plot will chronicle the rise of Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin) and his power struggles with Mooney, but it remains to be seen how other characters, such as Selina Kyle and Edward Nygma, will be woven into the overall narrative.
In an interview with several journalists after the TCA panel, Heller was asked about one element of the pilot: The introduction of a character named Ivy Pepper, who of course instantly brought Poison Ivy to mind. Without giving too much away, Heller sketched out a season one path for the character that appears to vary from past depictions of Poison Ivy. (IGN has more details on what Heller said about Ivy Pepper and another character who may or may not be the Joker.)
"It's really about being able to tell the secret histories" of the characters, Heller said. "If you just re-tell the stories exactly as they've been told before, while you're being true to the created mythology, you're not really adding anything to it, so you have to find ways of [coming up with] more."
The good news is that Heller and his writers, who have to run major story ideas past the DC Comics' brain trust, aren't hemmed in by an overly dense Jim Gordon mythology. A few ideas have been shot down, Heller said, but it's been generally clear sailing.
"Because we're dealing with pre-Batman period, there are a few issues of chronology that will come up later that will be tricky, but at this stage, we've got pretty much free rein," he said.
I asked Heller how the show would balance the crime or criminal of the week with serialized storytelling.
"That's the biggest question for us as well. We know the answer, but it's a tough balance," Heller said. "They're cops, Gordon and Bullock, they're the center of the show. Every week, there will be a standalone story or case that they're investigating. We combine that with the serialized elements as we roll forward. Occasionally, when that serialized element reaches a climax, we will do fully serialized episodes that don't have a closed-ended case.
"TV has become more about binge-viewing and DVRs and all the rest of it, so there's more space for that," added Heller, who created CBS' "The Mentalist" and HBO's "Rome." "The networks are more [accepting of that]. Five years ago, no one wanted that. ... Now it's balanced by the fact that the appetite for serialized storytelling is that much stronger. Then the responsibility becomes telling that serialized story in as exciting and satisfying a way as possible. You've also got to tell the standalone stories, and you're never quite sure whether you've got the balance right."
Heller also expanded on the reason to make "Gotham" much more about Jim Gordon and the city's criminals than about the caped crusader who comes to the city's rescue years after his parents' death.
"When you have a superhero on the screen, ordinary people are kind of diminished, and you're just waiting for the superhero to arrive," Heller noted. "So how do you do a DC story on TV? Concentrate on the ordinary, real people."
Though I understand Heller's reasoning, I'd respectfully disagree with aspects of that last statement. One thing the CW's "Arrow" has done well is depict a superhero character who is clearly flawed and whose occasional failures add depth to the emotional narrative, and the roster of worthwhile characters on that show means that scenes without Oliver are far from dead weight. And I've only seen the pilot for "The Flash," which arrives on the CW this fall, but it also has a promising ensemble and a similarly layered lead character -- one who certainly has not reliably mastered his new powers by the time the pilot ends. One thing the pilots for both CW shows had: a lively energy, something the more labored "Gotham" sometimes lacks.
Clearly these are very different shows with divergent tones and goals, and from his comments, it appears Heller has thought hard about how to make "Gotham" work in the long term. I'll write more about the show close to its Sept. 22 premiere, but my chief concern about the "Gotham" pilot, which is generally solid, is that it retains the grim tone of the Christopher Nolan films without also offering those movies' style, scope and visionary thrills. There's a somewhat strained quality to the pilot that makes Pinkett Smith's lively performance as Fish Mooney that much more necessary.
Will "Gotham" ultimately become as addictive as "Arrow" or wrestle with the kinds of lumbering problems that affected "Marvel's Agents of Shield" during most of its debut season? There's no way to tell, but if Heller can inject some "Rome"-style complexity and character-driven storytelling into this evolving Batman backstory, it could be a worthwhile ride.
Rory McIlroy refusal to sign autograph for young fan after Open victory is cleared up by Ian Poulter on Twitter
Rory McIlroy's supposed snub of a young autograph hunter has been explained by fellow golfer Ian Poulter. McIlroy appeared to blank a young fan who was after the Open winner's signature soon after lifting the Claret Jug.
Didier Drogba moves a step closer to a Stamford Bridge return as he texts old teammates to talk about coming back
Didier Drogba is poised to take a step closer to realising his dream of a return to Chelsea this week. Talks have been ongoing over a one year player-coach contract which will see him reunited with mentor Jose Mourinho.
Jason Kenny reveals he has had to beef up ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Triple Olympic champion Jason Kenny admits he has had to bulk up to keep pace with the changing dynamics of the men's sprint.
Fox's 'Gotham' Series Will Not Feature Batman, But It Will Include Bruce Wayne
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Yes, the new Fox series "Gotham" will feature a young Bruce Wayne, but don't expect him to turn into the caped crusader.
Creator Bruno Heller told journalists Sunday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that "If there is a superhero on this show, it's Gotham." "To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," he said, "because the difference is superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the physically possible. This is about people and people trying to overcome real problems versus trying to learn how to fly."
"Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon. Heller says he's "the moral lynchpin of the show. If you look at the mythology, he's the guy that creates Batman or gives Batman permission to exist in that world."
We also meet the future Penguin, future Riddler, future Catwoman and future Joker.
There's a new villain called Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. The possibility she will evolve into another character from the story's mythology was teased at Sunday's panel.
Season one, says Heller, will focus on the rise of the Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor, and his power struggle with Fish Mooney.
"Gotham" is scheduled to premiere Sept. 22 on Fox.
___
Online:
http://ift.tt/1cGhKdj
Creator Bruno Heller told journalists Sunday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that "If there is a superhero on this show, it's Gotham." "To me, heroes are more interesting than superheroes," he said, "because the difference is superheroes do the impossible, and drama is really about the physically possible. This is about people and people trying to overcome real problems versus trying to learn how to fly."
"Gotham" stars Ben McKenzie as Detective James Gordon. Heller says he's "the moral lynchpin of the show. If you look at the mythology, he's the guy that creates Batman or gives Batman permission to exist in that world."
We also meet the future Penguin, future Riddler, future Catwoman and future Joker.
There's a new villain called Fish Mooney, played by Jada Pinkett Smith. The possibility she will evolve into another character from the story's mythology was teased at Sunday's panel.
Season one, says Heller, will focus on the rise of the Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor, and his power struggle with Fish Mooney.
"Gotham" is scheduled to premiere Sept. 22 on Fox.
___
Online:
http://ift.tt/1cGhKdj
Liverpool touch down for their US tour as Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard lead the squad through Boston Airport
Premier League runners-up Liverpool have landed in Boston ahead of opening their US pre-season tour against AS Roma on Wednesday. Skipper Steven Gerrard led his team mates off the plane behind Brendan Rodgers
"Who is the Tall Dark Stranger There?" My First Man-Crush--James Garner
The following was originally posted on Kevin's blog, MyMediaDiary.com.
"I'm getting a little jealous of James Garner," my wife informed me as I headed down the basement with my burned DVDs. I was in the middle of a bit of binge-watching a few months before Netflix appeared on our horizon. It involved setting our DVR for a series of old Maverick episodes on the Starz Western channel.
I'd finally figured out how to burn a bushel of the episodes to a DVD and was taking them downstairs to put by the dusty exercise equipment to induce me to get hooked on a show and lose pounds at the same time.
I knew the Maverick theme song years before I finally saw one of the old episodes...
My dad and his brothers-in-law were children of the fifties and grew up with the Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the romance of the west that was echoed so beautifully in the love affair with the Red Rider BB gun in A Christmas Story.
But my first introduction to James Garner wasn't in a stetson, but in a beat up old RV on the beach. Jim Rockford had the great gold Firebird, the great ocean-front property and in The Rockford Files he got beat up and arrested enough times, but it seemed to a 12 year-old a pretty glamorous lifestyle.
But like Maverick, Garner had the great fortune to have an outstanding opening song with a great teaser of different voice-mails (echoed in the various chalkboard punishments for Bart in The Simpsons). Thanks to Youtube's Mick2090 who edited together Season 1's opening messages...
Garner's folksy, relaxed manner--even on an answering machine message--was his calling card. I was hooked on the crime drama and when my dad suggested I stay up late one night to see the Channel 20 movie one Saturday night to watch one of his favorite films, I was very happy to see Garner in The Great Escape--like seeing an unexpected friend at a reunion. In this scene, his character, "The Scrounger" prepares Fourth of July moonshine to share with the non-Yanks in the prison camp.
Steve McQueen, at the time, was already had such an ego and well-beyond being part of an ensemble cast that he insisted on having most of his scenes shot with only a few other actors--thus the motorcycle stunt, etc.
But Garner was a scrounger in life as well. He had to leave Maverick under tough circumstances and received many broken bones for his own stuntwork on Rockford. But like Bill Cosby and Jell-O, he discovered a natural talent for advertising as Mariette Hartley and Polaroid became his most successful co-stars.
I'm not sure I ever saw Garner not playing Garner. Nor did I ever really want to.
In the Blake Edwards hit, Victor Victoria, he plays usual the man's-man that made Cary Grant and George Clooney so popular with both genders. But add in the ingredients of him as a gangster who has certain homophobic leanings that somehow can't stop him from falling for Julie Andrews' female-impersonating "Victor."
And he even aged well. In college, I took a date to see Murphy's Romance, when again he played a folksy-towny who cannot stand the young moron who has returned to ruin the life of Emma (Sally Field) and her young son.
At the end of the film, he confesses to Emma that he's 70, but she doesn't care and neither do we.
Finally, he spanned his third generation of fans--from my father and uncles to my daughter and every female student I've had for the past ten years, in 2004's The Notebook with his wrenching "I'll be seeing you."
Four important men in my life were taken far too early--my father, Jim, in 1997, his brother Bob in 1985, Dad's buddy Rick Olshove in 2005 and my Uncle Tom just four days ago. All had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh--especially at themselves. Rick's was perhaps most like Garner's characters--very dry, a bit caustic but pretty unconditionally accepting. (My favorite Rick-ism was "Whatever!" when faced with a strange turn of events.)
My dad in the back behind my mom's four brothers, John, Larry, Tom and Joe.
When my sister Katie was married in 1996 in northern Michigan, we had a big campfire and Uncle Tom produced stetsons for all the cousins and uncles who joined in a rendition of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" along with many other western themes. I suspect that "Maverick" was also sung. In the air was total acceptance, joy of the moment and each other's company.
Perhaps with the loss of an omni-presence such as Garner's in my life feels as sad and empty as the loss of Jim, Bob, Rick and Tom.
Perhaps the still shot of his smiling upward gaze from the titles of The Rockford Files' (with his dad "Rocky" in the background) summed up Garner and the ironic, but still hopeful, perspective that he instilled in many of us.
Perhaps that was Garner's greatest role--not just every-man, but every-friend.
"I'm getting a little jealous of James Garner," my wife informed me as I headed down the basement with my burned DVDs. I was in the middle of a bit of binge-watching a few months before Netflix appeared on our horizon. It involved setting our DVR for a series of old Maverick episodes on the Starz Western channel.
I'd finally figured out how to burn a bushel of the episodes to a DVD and was taking them downstairs to put by the dusty exercise equipment to induce me to get hooked on a show and lose pounds at the same time.
I knew the Maverick theme song years before I finally saw one of the old episodes...
Who is the tall, dark stranger there?
Maverick is the name.
Ridin' the trail to who knows where,
Luck is his companion,
Gamblin' is his game.
Smooth as the handle on a gun.
Maverick is the name.
Wild as the wind in Oregon,
Blowin' up a canyon,
Easier to tame.
My dad and his brothers-in-law were children of the fifties and grew up with the Lone Ranger, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and the romance of the west that was echoed so beautifully in the love affair with the Red Rider BB gun in A Christmas Story.
But my first introduction to James Garner wasn't in a stetson, but in a beat up old RV on the beach. Jim Rockford had the great gold Firebird, the great ocean-front property and in The Rockford Files he got beat up and arrested enough times, but it seemed to a 12 year-old a pretty glamorous lifestyle.
But like Maverick, Garner had the great fortune to have an outstanding opening song with a great teaser of different voice-mails (echoed in the various chalkboard punishments for Bart in The Simpsons). Thanks to Youtube's Mick2090 who edited together Season 1's opening messages...
Garner's folksy, relaxed manner--even on an answering machine message--was his calling card. I was hooked on the crime drama and when my dad suggested I stay up late one night to see the Channel 20 movie one Saturday night to watch one of his favorite films, I was very happy to see Garner in The Great Escape--like seeing an unexpected friend at a reunion. In this scene, his character, "The Scrounger" prepares Fourth of July moonshine to share with the non-Yanks in the prison camp.
Steve McQueen, at the time, was already had such an ego and well-beyond being part of an ensemble cast that he insisted on having most of his scenes shot with only a few other actors--thus the motorcycle stunt, etc.
But Garner was a scrounger in life as well. He had to leave Maverick under tough circumstances and received many broken bones for his own stuntwork on Rockford. But like Bill Cosby and Jell-O, he discovered a natural talent for advertising as Mariette Hartley and Polaroid became his most successful co-stars.
I'm not sure I ever saw Garner not playing Garner. Nor did I ever really want to.
In the Blake Edwards hit, Victor Victoria, he plays usual the man's-man that made Cary Grant and George Clooney so popular with both genders. But add in the ingredients of him as a gangster who has certain homophobic leanings that somehow can't stop him from falling for Julie Andrews' female-impersonating "Victor."
And he even aged well. In college, I took a date to see Murphy's Romance, when again he played a folksy-towny who cannot stand the young moron who has returned to ruin the life of Emma (Sally Field) and her young son.
At the end of the film, he confesses to Emma that he's 70, but she doesn't care and neither do we.
Finally, he spanned his third generation of fans--from my father and uncles to my daughter and every female student I've had for the past ten years, in 2004's The Notebook with his wrenching "I'll be seeing you."
Four important men in my life were taken far too early--my father, Jim, in 1997, his brother Bob in 1985, Dad's buddy Rick Olshove in 2005 and my Uncle Tom just four days ago. All had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh--especially at themselves. Rick's was perhaps most like Garner's characters--very dry, a bit caustic but pretty unconditionally accepting. (My favorite Rick-ism was "Whatever!" when faced with a strange turn of events.)
My dad in the back behind my mom's four brothers, John, Larry, Tom and Joe.
When my sister Katie was married in 1996 in northern Michigan, we had a big campfire and Uncle Tom produced stetsons for all the cousins and uncles who joined in a rendition of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" along with many other western themes. I suspect that "Maverick" was also sung. In the air was total acceptance, joy of the moment and each other's company.
Perhaps with the loss of an omni-presence such as Garner's in my life feels as sad and empty as the loss of Jim, Bob, Rick and Tom.
Perhaps the still shot of his smiling upward gaze from the titles of The Rockford Files' (with his dad "Rocky" in the background) summed up Garner and the ironic, but still hopeful, perspective that he instilled in many of us.
Perhaps that was Garner's greatest role--not just every-man, but every-friend.
Sam Turner's tips: All the best bets for Monday July 21
The Mark Johnston-trained Ifwecan (Ayr, 4.55) earns the nap vote after an excellent run in defeat in a warm heat at Sandown earlier in the month.
'The Patriot' Actress Skye McCole Bartusiak Dead At 21
Skye McCole Bartusiak has died at age 21. She was best known for her role as the daughter of Mel Gibson's character in "The Patriot."
Bartusiak was found dead in her Houston home on Saturday. "We lost our girl," her mother Helen McCole Bartusiak told CNN. "She was a kind and really beautiful girl."
CNN further reports that investigators have yet to determine a cause of death, though Bartusiak's mother notes she had been suffering from epileptic seizures in days prior. According to Variety ,Bartusiak died in her sleep.
Aside from her memorable role in "The Patriot," the 21-year-old was known for her roles in "Cider House Rules" and "Don't Say A Word." She also appeared on television in "24," "Lost," "CSI" and "House." Her mother noted that she was preparing to produce and direct her first feature film.
Bartusiak was found dead in her Houston home on Saturday. "We lost our girl," her mother Helen McCole Bartusiak told CNN. "She was a kind and really beautiful girl."
CNN further reports that investigators have yet to determine a cause of death, though Bartusiak's mother notes she had been suffering from epileptic seizures in days prior. According to Variety ,Bartusiak died in her sleep.
Aside from her memorable role in "The Patriot," the 21-year-old was known for her roles in "Cider House Rules" and "Don't Say A Word." She also appeared on television in "24," "Lost," "CSI" and "House." Her mother noted that she was preparing to produce and direct her first feature film.
Rory McIlroy joins the gilded few with new Open champion on course for greatness
DEREK LAWRENSON: By the time Rory McIlroy got to the 18th green his face a picture of rapture for good times never felt so good. So good.
Will Sharman continues Commonwealth Games preparations with impressive show at Anniversary Games
Will Sharman continued his impressive form ahead of the Commonwealth Games with another quick time - even if he lost out in a three-way photo finish in the 110 metres hurdles at Horse Guards Parade on Sunday.
FACE IT: A Real Maverick Remembered
FACE IT: A Real Maverick Remembered
By Michele Willens
I have interviewed hundreds of celebrated folks over the years and am often asked if I had a favorite. My answer has remained the same: James Garner. The first time consisted of a couple of days trailing him around the streets of New York City, where he was filming Barbarians at the Gate. He was funny and frank and somewhat embarrassed by the size and splendor of his trailer. I recall his co-star, Jonathan Pryce, knocking on its door once, looking around, and saying in that wry British way, "ah, so this is where the budget went." Garner guffawed.
The HBO trailer aside, James Garner was not only the most charming and honest of stars, he was the least interested in frills. He demanded only fairness, which is why he took a couple studios to court over the years to get the compensation he deserved. He is a hero to many a TV series star for doing so.
Everyone loved James Garner, even those who couldn't remember his name. I still recall a stunned, stuttering stranger across the street noticing him and yelling, "you're...you're.....what's your name?" "Garner!" the star responded. "Yeah, you look like him!" came the response. "That's why!" he shot back. The exchange lasted about five seconds but I couldn't stop laughing. He told me similar stories like being in an elevator once when someone said he looked familiar, kept snapping his fingers and saying "don't tell me...". When Garner finally did, the person thought a few seconds and said, "no....."
The truth is, if you spent any time with Garner, you could not forget him. The next time I saw him was at the Bel Air Hotel, where I interviewed him for a cover story for TV Guide. I came in eight months pregnant and he was the perfect gentleman. He insisted on walking me to my car to make sure I was okay. By the way, he never came accompanied by a publicist or entourage. He would have probably been their nightmare come true, as he always told it exactly as he saw it.
I grew up in the fifties so perhaps the only show, besides The Mickey Mouse Club and American Bandstand, that I recall vividly is Maverick. I was too young to get the idea of anti-hero, but somehow it registered that here was a cowboy who was going to win with his gumption, not his gun.
Which brings me to The Americanization of Emily, one of the most perfect films never seen by millions. Garner told me he was shocked it disappeared so quickly, and confessed he was sure he and his co-star Julie Andrews would be up for Oscars. But he said the timing of its release was obviously wrong: "The country was just getting into Vietnam and had conflicted feelings about patriotism and war," he mused. Ironically, last year in my Columbia University class on World War Two and Narratives, we had to write a paper on one book or film. I chose that one.(My title was "When is a Coward a Hero?) It was such a pleasure to go back to watch Emily again and quote those amazing lines ("Cowardice will save the world." "It's not war that insane, it's the morality of it") from the pen of Paddy Chayevsky, spoken by Garner's self-satisfied Navy man whose goal was to remain combat-free.
James Garner told me so many wonderful stories: how if he had not found a parking spot in front of a Los Angeles producer's office, he likely would never have become an actor; how he learned more "watching Henry Fonda's back" during a year as a juror on stage in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial than in any acting class; how every bone and muscle ached each day he went to work on The Rockford Files.
He left behind a treasure trove of stellar performances, particularly in an unparalleled string of television movies. Mostly, he left behind the idea that one could be leading man handsome and yet self-effacing, funny, and relatable. He will be missed by viewers, fans, and by those who were privileged to have spent a little time with him.
By Michele Willens
I have interviewed hundreds of celebrated folks over the years and am often asked if I had a favorite. My answer has remained the same: James Garner. The first time consisted of a couple of days trailing him around the streets of New York City, where he was filming Barbarians at the Gate. He was funny and frank and somewhat embarrassed by the size and splendor of his trailer. I recall his co-star, Jonathan Pryce, knocking on its door once, looking around, and saying in that wry British way, "ah, so this is where the budget went." Garner guffawed.
The HBO trailer aside, James Garner was not only the most charming and honest of stars, he was the least interested in frills. He demanded only fairness, which is why he took a couple studios to court over the years to get the compensation he deserved. He is a hero to many a TV series star for doing so.
Everyone loved James Garner, even those who couldn't remember his name. I still recall a stunned, stuttering stranger across the street noticing him and yelling, "you're...you're.....what's your name?" "Garner!" the star responded. "Yeah, you look like him!" came the response. "That's why!" he shot back. The exchange lasted about five seconds but I couldn't stop laughing. He told me similar stories like being in an elevator once when someone said he looked familiar, kept snapping his fingers and saying "don't tell me...". When Garner finally did, the person thought a few seconds and said, "no....."
The truth is, if you spent any time with Garner, you could not forget him. The next time I saw him was at the Bel Air Hotel, where I interviewed him for a cover story for TV Guide. I came in eight months pregnant and he was the perfect gentleman. He insisted on walking me to my car to make sure I was okay. By the way, he never came accompanied by a publicist or entourage. He would have probably been their nightmare come true, as he always told it exactly as he saw it.
I grew up in the fifties so perhaps the only show, besides The Mickey Mouse Club and American Bandstand, that I recall vividly is Maverick. I was too young to get the idea of anti-hero, but somehow it registered that here was a cowboy who was going to win with his gumption, not his gun.
Which brings me to The Americanization of Emily, one of the most perfect films never seen by millions. Garner told me he was shocked it disappeared so quickly, and confessed he was sure he and his co-star Julie Andrews would be up for Oscars. But he said the timing of its release was obviously wrong: "The country was just getting into Vietnam and had conflicted feelings about patriotism and war," he mused. Ironically, last year in my Columbia University class on World War Two and Narratives, we had to write a paper on one book or film. I chose that one.(My title was "When is a Coward a Hero?) It was such a pleasure to go back to watch Emily again and quote those amazing lines ("Cowardice will save the world." "It's not war that insane, it's the morality of it") from the pen of Paddy Chayevsky, spoken by Garner's self-satisfied Navy man whose goal was to remain combat-free.
James Garner told me so many wonderful stories: how if he had not found a parking spot in front of a Los Angeles producer's office, he likely would never have become an actor; how he learned more "watching Henry Fonda's back" during a year as a juror on stage in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial than in any acting class; how every bone and muscle ached each day he went to work on The Rockford Files.
He left behind a treasure trove of stellar performances, particularly in an unparalleled string of television movies. Mostly, he left behind the idea that one could be leading man handsome and yet self-effacing, funny, and relatable. He will be missed by viewers, fans, and by those who were privileged to have spent a little time with him.
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has no fixed transfer budget as club prepare title challenge
The new United boss has been told he can carry on spending this summer by Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, with the club willing 'to do what it takes to win the title' this season.
Jenson Button says Lewis Hamilton's behaviour was 'strange' after his former team mate claimed he thought McLaren man was letting him pass at German GP
Jenson Button has been left baffled by Lewis Hamilton's 'strange' performance during a collision-fuelled German Grand Prix. Hamilton's battle up from 20th on the grid included an incident with his former team mate in Hockenheim.
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