George Michael

Well, I went too early with my RIP post didn't I? Readers, I am ok. I appreciate the tweets, the texts, the emails and the general concern for my welfare regarding George's death. This one hurt more than any others this year and there has been an outpouring of grief at Teen Towers.

George sang like the god he is and wrote effortless pop and soul. I always hoped he could overcome his monumental writers block and stage a massive comeback but alas, it wasn't to be. He leaves us with songs that I will never not listen to. Songs that soundtrack my life and make me happy.

He didn't make many albums but whittling down my top 10 George songs has been quite the task let me tell you. To do this, I have listened to Wham and George non-stop for 24 hours. It's a tough job but someone has to do it.

In reverse order:

I'm Your Man
I didn't love this when it came out but I now appreciate it for the pure pop it is.

Jesus To A Child
This is simply beautiful. You can hear the pain in his voice.

Fast Love
I loved this from the moment I heard it and I still do.

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day. Nobody else wrote pop like this. A video of sheer joy.

Wham Rap
Fantastic. Enjoy what you do.

Club Tropicana
This song and video sums up the 80s.

Father Figure
I still maintain this is a bit breathy but it showcases George's voice. It's the song that made me cry on Boxing Day when it came on the radio.

Last Christmas
Come on. A list without Last Christmas is unthinkable.

Everything She Wants
The finest single ever released was the double A side of Last Christmas/Everything She Wants. George did lovelorn lyrics with such heart.

Young Guns
I want this played at my funeral and I want the entire congregation to join in the rap. Don't bother turning up if you're not prepared to do this. I shall be watching.

Leaving out Freedom 90 (cleverest lyrics he wrote) and Careless Whisper (another video that sums up the 80s) is a wrench. I am not counting the duets because that's all just too difficult and I am feeling fragile.

He may have been quiet lately, his best songs may have been behind him but the world is a much dimmer place for me with no George. I am somewhat comforted by the amount of coverage his death received. It's nice to know others loved him as much as me.  I really do mean it when I say RIP George and thank you for the magic.

Bull Durham

Bull Durham is on Netflix and I watched it again for the first time in years. A film about baseball that is most enjoyable. This is the ultimate sexy Kevin Costner film. At one point Susan Sarandon says to him "God, you're gorgeous" and one can only agree. He is divine in this.

Susan is, naturally, also wonderful and Tim Robbins is perfect as the oafish young player. I was interested to note it was rated an 18 when it came out in 1988. I think now it would barely rate a 12. 

Anyway, if you've never seen it or not seen it for a while then I am here to tell you it's still excellent.

80s throwback

I pretty much live my life in the 80s so to call this a throwback is a little misleading. However, I flew to New York for two days earlier this week for work. Nothing exciting about it, I was in New Jersey in all day meetings and then back to the airport. I flew Delta. My experience of American airlines is they have terrible lounges, they give you ALL the food in the world but they have great old movies on the inflight entertainment.

I found myself idly flicking through the options and decided to watch Moonstruck. I've not seen it since it was released in 1987. I had little hope of it actually being any good and I was utterly charmed. It's a very slight story but Cher and Nicolas Cage are wonderful.

I used to have a crush on Nicolas Cage and it was 99% down to his performance in this.  He's all muscly, sweaty and cute. (1% for Wild At Heart - snakeskin jacket). The shots of New York and Cher being all mousey only to become a goddess after having sex with her fiance's brother. It's truly a delight and worth rewatching if you've not seen it for a while.

Bolstered by this success I moved on to Tootsie. A confession, I've never seen Tootsie. I have no idea how I have this gap in my key 80s film oeuvre but there it is. I've literally not even seen five minutes.

I was bowled over. I knew it was a good film but nobody told me it was awesome! Plus Bill Murray is in it. Dustin Hoffman thoroughly deserved his Oscar, he is just so good. Men dressing up as women is as old as the hills in Hollywood but his performance is genuinely very touching and not just played for laughs. I enjoyed every moment.

On my flight back, I watched Say Anything. Again, I've not seen this for a very long time. This film is all about John Cusack. Without him, not much is going on but he's marvellous. The good guy Lloyd, adored by his female friends, winning over the class goddess. It's not one of my favourite 80s films but it's thoroughly enjoyable. And it has Frasier's dad in it!

I was reminded of these movies after reading Hadley Freeman's new book, Life Moves Pretty Fast. Unsurprisingly it's about 80s movies and how good they were. It's not just a blind adoration though, she calls out the sexism, racism and other isms of 80s films but she also talks about how Dirty Dancing would simply never get made today. It's well worth a read.

Freaky Friday

The original Freaky Friday with Jodie Foster has always been a bit of a favourite of mine. I've not seen it in years but Jodie! Anyway, this remake is a hoot. I saw it on TV the other day and laughed like a drain. It's genuinely really funny because Jamie Lee-Curtis and Lindsey Lohan are brilliant.

The academy rarely rewards comedy acting and it's a crime because these two both deserve awards for their performances in this. Jamie driving the kids to school with the dreamy Mark Harmon on the first morning they've swapped bodies is one of the funniest scenes I've watched for a long time. Lindsey is great as the prim mother trying to comfort her 'daughter' when she has a meltdown. Everyone in this is great and it has a bonus Coco from Fame appearance too. But this film is Jamie's, she is simply magnificent and it reminds me why I like her so much. She's so much fun, I bet Jamie and I would be friends. She comes across as so normal for someone who is essentially Hollywood royalty given her parents. I might kick start a JLC season and open it with Perfect.

Romancing the Stone

On Friday I found myself at Dubai airport having missed my connecting flight home (thanks for nothing BA) and had to spend five hours there. There are worse places to be stranded that Dubai airport but I was exhausted and for once, didn't want to shop. So I waited patiently and finally boarded my Emirates flight feeling very jaded with life.

I perked up because Emirates business class is delightful. Properly decadent, you get your own little bar! I sipped some champagne and casually looked at the in-flight entertainment. New films are a given on all flights, I judge an airline on the classic films. BA is woeful at this (of course). American Airlines had Gone With The Wind which made up for the fact I had to ask for my glass of champagne. Emirates had dozens and dozens of classics and I may have actually squealed when I saw it had Romancing the Stone. When you are travel-weary and your eyes hurt because you are so tired, you don't want anything worthy or new. You want your old friends to soothe you. I settled down with my lunch and wine and revisited this absolute classic.

It's never going to win any awards and it's super-cheesy but I have always loved this film because of the two leads. Kathleen Turner is quite simply, wonderful and gorgeous. Michael Douglas is sexy, funny and divine. They cavort round the Colombian jungle, running into trouble and Joan is a timid romance writer sexually awakened by Jack. Danny DeVito is after them as well as other baddies. It's all most pleasing and charming. It rattles along at a fair old pace and it still makes me laugh. The Jewel Of The Nile, its sequel was nowhere near as good but I would still happily watch it.

Michael Douglas is a bit weird these days (he is 70 which is a bit freaky to think about) but for me, this is his best film. He is charming and sexy. Watch it if you don't believe me. And Kathleen Turner is always wonderful. God bless the 80s.

ETA: I'd already blogged about this, I thought I had, I did a search and it didn't come up. Anyway, it's so good, I've talked about it twice.

All about Grease

I was just in my dressing room getting ready for my new year festivities which involves not leaving the house, obviously. Anyway, Grease blasted out and it got me thinking:

1) I've only really done one serious post about Grease on here.
2) I've not watched Grease this year.

Back in 1978, when Grease was released, there were two cassettes in my mum's car - the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and the Grease soundtrack. Life was good, it was all we needed. We listened to it all the time. Then tragedy struck, the tapes were taken to a party and never returned. I don't quite know why my mum didn't go and buy them again, we were not flush with money but times weren't desperate. She didn't and we were left without the music. Literally.

So how about I do my rundown of the Grease soundtrack in order of greatness? Why the hell not? I am going to leave out the majority of the prom songs because good as they are, they don't really count. Obviously I will include Born To Hand Jive because I am not a heathen.

In reverse order:

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Something has to come last. I am not a fan of this drippy ballad. Liv gives it her all but it's all a bit dull.

Beauty School Dropout

I want to like this more than I do and over the years it has grown on me. I love Frenchie, I love her pink hair and the bubble gum. Who doesn't love Frankie Valli? I don't know why this doesn't quite work for me but there you go.

We Go Together

This is so joyous - look at them! Nonsensical lyrics, you wonder how on earth they learned them. Also, some kick-ass dancing!

Sandy

I love Sandy because of Travolta's heartfelt singing and the dancing hotdog. We're now into songs I adore: What will they say, Monday at school. It still remains one of my favourite lyrics.

Born To Hand Jive

The greatest dancing sequence with some hand moves we can all try at home.

Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee

Total genius. I love Stockard's relish as she sings this and the lyrics are hilarious. That bedroom is still my dream bedroom.

You're The One That I Want

Still one of my favourite moments in a movie when Danny first sees sexed-up Sandy. It's just marvellous. A great intro to a song that never quite lives up to the early promise. Still, I am splitting hairs.

There Are Worse Things I Could Do

One of the saddest songs ever written. Stockard really is the star of Grease.

Greased Lightnin'

I love the way Danny jumps on to the table near the beginning, the choreography, the dream silver suits, the dirty lyrics. ALL OF IT!

Grease

One of the best openings to a movie ever. From the over blown Love Is A Many Splendored Thing to the opening notes of this. It's simply perfect.

Summer Nights

This will always be my favourite, it's fun and effortless and it has the best line ever: because he sounds like a drag. Never has one person been so wrong. Danny is not a drag!

Happy 2015 readers!

Lenny Kravitz

How have I neglected Lenny? I am ashamed of myself. Lenny was an obsession that lasted for several years and I still love him. Recently I've been listening to Lenny again for the first time in years and am delighted to report that his songs still sound good. Not all of them, some were clearly written under the influence of too many substances, however there is some greatness to be had. In a moment I shall pick out a few but let's just take a moment to appreciate the gorgeousness of Lenny.

He is ludicrously photogenic. My obsession extended to waiting for hours so I could be in the front row of a concert at Brixton Academy. Here is my photo:

I can't believe that was over 20 years ago. He threw me his plectrum and I still have it somewhere. Oh I do love a good obsession.

Anyway, to his music. I always felt he wasn't given enough credit. He wrote some fabulous songs. Here are some of my favourites.

I adore Heaven Help, it's such a cute little song.

Are You Gonna Go My Way. This still has one of my favourite introductions to a rock song. I love bouncing around to this. It's a great workout song.

Always On The Run. Another fantastic introduction. Lenny and Slash. I think my uterus just skipped a beat. I think this is possibly my favourite Lenny song. I adore it.

Except I also adore Stand By My Woman. The perfect love song.

I also have a soft spot for Believe.

Let Love Rule will always be my favourite Lenny album and the title song is still perfect. I can always listen to this.

Be. I used to listen to this over and over.

I don't have much time for later Lenny but I am enjoying his new career as an actor. He's pretty good as well. Now all he needs to do is get back together with Lisa Bonet and arrange for me to bump into them in New York and I can die happy.

Grey's Anatomy

I present myself ready to eat humble pie. I have dissed this show for some time based on snippets I've seen where someone is always crying. Also, the music montage with a band like Snow Patrol playing over people crying. Also, the protagonist has a squeaky, irritating voice and she opens nearly every show with a voiceover saying stuff that means nothing: "in a world where all we have are dreams, it doesn't hurt to sleep a little." I made that one up but you get my drift. Anyway, I had decided Grey's was not for me.

I admit it. I was wrong. You can get your diaries out and make a note of the day. I have been watching Grey's on Hulu (fab online TV service for peanuts) and I am addicted. I started watching this about two weeks ago and I've just finished season three. I am not proud. In my defence it's brutally cold here in New York and it's January. I am trying to save money. Also, I've been sick. Nonetheless, like I say, I am not proud. But damn, if it isn't addictive. My initial impressions still stand. There is an inordinate amount of crying, there is generally too much emotion for my taste, the musical montages are overdone and Meredith is annoying. So why am I watching it? Let's look at the evidence.

Miranda Bailey. One of the finest characters I've seen on television. Miranda takes no prisoners. She's hilarious, the actress delivers her lines beautifully. She bosses around her interns and I love her. I want to be her.

Cristina Yang. I really like Sandra Oh and she plays the over-achieving, highly competitive Yang so well. Another one who has great lines.

Preston Burke. It's all a bit unfortunate what happened here with the actor because Preston is a fine character. I like his mother too.

Callie Torres. I want to have this woman's hair.

McDreamy. Patrick Demsey, who knew? This is a case of being all about the character. I don't fancy Patrick Demsey but man, I fancy McDreamy. He is definitely at his best in season one, he is getting a bit tired and emotive now but the scene in the lift when him and Meredith kiss is dreamy indeed. Plus he's a brain surgeon.

I have major issues with Meredith who is just wet. I don't have a huge amount of time for Izzy who makes bad decisions all the time and George is plain annoying. However, I admit it, I am loving this show. And it's still going at season 10! I have so much to watch. Excuse me...

Chris Hemsworth

A new year and it's time for a new crush. This one has been brewing quietly for a while, it's not in the Ryan Gosling sphere yet but it's just been pushed up the ranks after a viewing of Rush.

This is a dream of a role as James Hunt was clearly a bit of alright.

Bad boy, smoking, driving fast cars and being funny all at the same time equals sexy and Chris impressed me in many ways. Firstly, he actually is a good actor and he gets the posh English accent perfectly. Being Australian, he has a bit of wit about him naturally. But who are we kidding, that's not what the crush is about.

It's no accident this guy played Thor. His body is well, it's rather nice isn't it? Let's not beat around the bush. He gets his kit off in Rush and I for one am not complaining.

As usual my sister was here first, she announced she had a crush on Chris ages ago but I couldn't see it. I think I was tainted by my Home & Away memories.

His acting chops have improved massively because I remember him being pretty awful in H&A. He does have slightly nitty eyes (trademark - my mother) but I am willing to overlook this flaw because he is maturing very pleasingly indeed. Like I say, this crush isn't raging yet but it's coming along nicely and it's a pleasant diversion to the January blues. Also, if you're not see the first Thor, it's worth a watch because Kenneth Branagh directed it and it's got Chris flexing his muscles and smashing things in a manly way.

Slash

I've mentioned my crush on Slash before and my love for Guns n' Roses. Obviously I am reading Slash's autobiography. Its tagline is: "It seems excessive but that doesn't mean it didn't happen." Yeah, yeah you might think, all rock n' roll biographies claim to be wild and over the top. However, this one is absolutely hilarious. A four-day heroin and coke binge at a golf resort which culminates with Slash running round the course naked. David Bowie telling him his hallucinations mean he's in a dark place man. Axl Rose telling Slash's grandmother to fuck off when she wants to watch her afternoon telly. Threesomes. Snakes and an earthquake! It's a wonder they ever managed to get a band together and make any music at all.

I am nearly at the end of this momentous book and I can heartily recommend it. There's never a dull moment and Slash sounds like a very cool guy. He just picked the guitar up and that was that. No formal lessons. Reading about his life so far makes mine feel extremely dull and yet again my alternative life of being a rock chick in LA seems like it could have been a viable option. Not that I want to be a heroin addict, high functioning alcoholic and get involved with Axl Rose. Rose sounds like a total nightmare, it would be interesting to read his side of the story but what is interesting is that Slash never says anything really bad about him. He just calmly says what happened and you think WTF?

Anyway, it's made me rediscover Guns n' Roses (not that I needed to as such) and I really do believe they were the greatest over the top rock band. They burned brightly and faded fast but they gave us some proper rock that still makes me want to jump about and behave irresponsibly. Read this book, you won't regret it. Slash forever man.

Working Girl

Working Girl is a film I've pretty much ignored because of my intense dislike of Melanie Griffith. However, thanks to Netflix, I watched this last night and it was a hoot. I don't think I've seen a film that simply has one song they play over and over again, in this case Carly Simon's Let The River Run. They really wanted to make that a hit. Other observations:

• Sigourney Weaver is fantastic in this and wears red to great effect.
• Joan Cusack is someone you'd like as your best friend.
• It has Kevin Spacey in it!
• And Alec Baldwin looking so young. And thin.
• David Duchovny is an extra!
• Oliver Platt!
• It's a six degrees of separation dream of a film.
• Melanie Griffith is obliged to wear horrible underwear in many shots.
• Harrison Ford is dreamy.

However, TeenBoy and I were mainly distracted by the hair.

I repeat, the hair:

Look, I lived through the 80s and I really don't think anybody had hair like this. I'm not saying it was a good decade for hair but really? TeenBoy was transfixed and asked me "how would anyone get their hair to do that?" Awwwwww, I love how men know so little about the wonders of back combing, perming and hairspray.

Anyway, in conclusion this is thoroughly entertaining and well worth another viewing. When you all get Netflix.

The Matrix

January has been about watching old favourite movies. I've watched Dances with Wolves, Last of the Mohicans (I still swoon over Daniel, I don't think this film ever gets old) and The Matrix. I've not seen The Matrix for a while and I am pleased to report that it's remains great fun. However, I hadn't appreciated in 1999 (I know, I know) how silly it is. The ponderous philosophical meanderings of Morpheus and the way he just decides to pull off all the wires and jump to the helicopter (after being near death or so it seems) seemed rather ridiculous to me. It never occurred to me to find this silly at the time which is worrying. Maybe this film was always silly and not a realistic alternate universe?

When I saw this at the cinema, I remember thinking 'whoa, what if we are all really plugged into a matrix?' Just like when I saw The Truman Show I thought 'whoa, what if I am on a reality show?' I dismissed that one fairly quickly as my life is way to dull for anyone to be interested in watching it. Unless me sitting on the sofa watching Coronation St is compelling viewing. But I really did think the matrix proposal was possible. I particularly liked the explanation for deja-vu.

Now I know I am not in the matrix and Keanu isn't going to save me. Boo! I love Carrie-Ann Moss in this, she is super-hot and very cool. Whatever happened to her? I also love the fact there are at least two members of the Home & Away cast in it because they made it in Sydney.

Having had the misfortune of watching two hours of The Dark Knight Rises recently (I didn't make it to the end, two hours in and I was still nowhere near the end of the godforsaken film), I am not going to criticise The Matrix. At least it's entertaining, stuff happens and it moves at a quick pace. Plus it has Keanu. We could all do a lot worse. And for those of you who watched The Dark Knight Rises, you have done a lot worse. Sorry about that. Don't tell me you liked it, I'm not interested. It was total rubbish and absolutely dull.

Bad Influence

Having watched Top Gun last night, my mood was set for a Bad Movie We Love. Also, my sister was with me and after a work out and then a long walk, we felt obliged to snuggle on to a sofa each and watch something cheesy. I bought this DVD ages ago and it was on my list to watch in 2012 but every time I suggested it, TeenBoy changed the subject. I can't imagine why.

So today we popped it on and sat back. Have you seen this? Have you? James Spader, Rob Lowe and Marcia Cross no less! It was shaping up to a classic of our time. I had seen this years ago but I couldn't remember much about it. What can I say? I enjoyed it far more than my sister who I suspect dozed through some key plot points. It's preposterous but no less enjoyable for it. It's mercifully 1 hour and 30 minutes long and it's unintentionally hilarious. It's not in the league of Masquerade but if you're in the market for some bad fashion, bad hair and people dragging dead bodies around in an apparently empty Los Angeles, then this is your film.

Top Ten male film characters

I've done the women, it's time to look at the men. This list was a bit harder to make.  However, after much deep reflection, here we go.

We start where all good lists should start, with Rhett Butler. Of all the male characters written, none are sexier, cooler or downright dashing as Mr Butler from Charleston. He is swoonsome in the book with his clean hankerchief, his hidden devotion to Scarlett and his ability to find all the latest French fashion. Clark Gable does a fine job of bringing him to the screen and from the moment you see him gazing up the stairs at Scarlett at Twelve Oaks to his final devastating walk down the drive at the end, we are enthralled.

Billy Crystal has never been better than when he played Harry Burns. He starts the film as an obnoxious, sexist oaf and ends up running the streets of Manhattan so he can declare his love for Sally. Billy is no sex symbol but somehow, as Harry, he plays the romantic lead beautifully giving hope to all short, bearded men.

Does one go for Dexter or Mike in High Society? I've gone for Mike because he is played by Frank Sinatra and you would never turn down Frank. He is divine in this, making all the right decisions, serenading Samantha/Tracy, dancing with her, diving in the pool after her and carrying her home but taking it no further "as there are rules about such things". Oh, what a gentlemanly time it was back in the 50s!

Johnny Castle. It's hard to believe an explanation is required but here goes. It's Patrick Swayze, dancing. He wears a leather jacket. He gets into fights. He's a teenage dream.

Ferris Bueller may have been the cocksure lead but my heart will always lie with Cameron. The unsure best friend who lounges around in bed waiting for his friend to make the fun happen. The guy who frets about his father's car and then pushes it spectacularly into the trees. Cameron is wonderful.

Danny or Kenickie? It has to be Kenickie because Jeff made him sexy. Paired with Rizzo, they are one of the finest couples preserved on film.

Buddy Elf! He smiles because smiling is his favourite thing! He knows Santa! I can watch Elf again and again based on Will Ferrell's delivery of some of the funniest lines. 

Bill and Ted who I am counting as one, after all what is Bill without Ted? And vice versa. They play Battleships with Death, they sing Poison to God. Bill and Ted are my heroes.

Life of Brian is hilarious and much of this is due to all the Pythons but can you imagine anyone playing Brian as well as Chapman? He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!

Billy in St Elmo's Fire. No contest, Rob Lowe as Billy is the best thing in St Elmo's Fire, and yes, I include Demi Moore's wardrobe and all the dancing. The one and only Billy the Kid is my desert island choice of male film characters.

Tell me yours.