ABC will present the season finale of its hit legal drama, Boston Legal, on Tuesday, May 16 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) in a special two-hour block. In the first part of the broadcast, "Spring Fever," Denny Crane and Alan Shore travel to the Los Angeles office of Crane, Poole & Schmidt for business and wind up unexpectedly taking on a case with a decidedly Hollywood flavor.
Once there, they spend time with senior partner Barry Goal (Robert Wagner), a powerful and cagey attorney who, like Crane, is no stranger to the spotlight. Back in Boston, Shirley Schmidt must once again defend Professor Clifford Cabot (Ed Begley, Jr.), this time on charges of soliciting a prostitute -- an act he claims was purely for the purposes of academic research. Denise Bauer and Marlene Stanger (Parker Posey), who are both vying for partnership at the firm, compete to assist Schmidt in the case. Meanwhile, Brad Chase's teenaged niece is accused of giving pharmaceutical drugs to a boy at a party and is charged with his murder.
In the second part, "BL: Los Angeles,", Alan Shore takes on the attempted murder trial of the beautiful and sexy Courtney Rae (Jeri Ryan), a Hollywood celebrity who shot a paparazzo she felt was a threat to her life. Meanwhile both Denny Crane and the LA firm's senior partner, Barry Goal, are captivated with Ms. Rae.
Denise Bauer thinks the sly new associate, Marlene Stanger, will ruin her chances of making partner, so she employs some back-stabbing techniques of her own. And, after Brad Chase's sister fires him from defending his teenaged niece at her murder trial, the girl takes it upon herself to re-hire her uncle.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
At the Movies: `Hoot'
This should be a real hoot: A film based on a Carl Hiaasen novel, produced by Jimmy Buffett and featuring songs by him, with both Florida boys appearing in small roles.
Robert Wagner pops in for a bit part at the end as the town's mayor and delivers the movie's funniest line.
Robert Wagner pops in for a bit part at the end as the town's mayor and delivers the movie's funniest line.
Monday, April 17, 2006
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! Robert Wagner and Isaiah Washington to Host 25th Silver Anniversary Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon
On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! Robert Wagner and Isaiah Washington to Host 25th Silver Anniversary Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon at Griffith Park -- April 23
Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon:
WHAT: Join hosts Robert Wagner and Isaiah Washington, community
leaders, runners and spectators of all ages in celebrating
the 25th Silver Anniversary Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay
Marathon at Griffith Park.
WHEN: Sunday, April 23, 2006
Media Check-in: 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.
Relay Marathon: 8:00 a.m.
Media Invitational Relay Challenge: 10:30 a.m.
All media credentials will be available at the media tent
adjacent to the Silver Circle Hospitality Area on Sunday,
April 23. Please call Julie Watt at 310-656-4668 to obtain
media parking passes and event maps.
WHERE: Griffith Park
WHO: -- Marathon hosts Robert Wagner and Isaiah Washington
-- More than 10,000 participants including runners, members
of the media participating in the media invitational
relay challenge and spectators.
(Complete list of media participants follows)
WHY: All proceeds from the Marathon will benefit programs and
services at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica.
Since the first race in 1982, $8.8 million has been raised.
DETAILS: One of the largest five-person relay marathons in the United
States, the Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon is
comprised of 17 divisions, according to age, gender and
corporate/industry affiliation. Each individual runs 5.2
miles before passing on the baton for a total of 26 miles.
The Relay Marathon has categories for everyone including,
the Diaper Dash and the Kids Races, as well as the third
annual media invitational relay challenge.
Teams Entered in the Media Invitational Relay Challenge
-- KCBS - 2 TV
-- KNBC - 4 TV
-- KABC - 7 TV
-- KCAL - 9 TV
-- FOX 11 News
-- Access Hollywood
-- LA Sport and Fitness Magazine
-- KEARTH Radio
-- Surfsantamonica.com
-- The Malibu Times
-- KVEA - Telemundo
-- Tu Ciadad Magazine
Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon:
WHAT: Join hosts Robert Wagner and Isaiah Washington, community
leaders, runners and spectators of all ages in celebrating
the 25th Silver Anniversary Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay
Marathon at Griffith Park.
WHEN: Sunday, April 23, 2006
Media Check-in: 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.
Relay Marathon: 8:00 a.m.
Media Invitational Relay Challenge: 10:30 a.m.
All media credentials will be available at the media tent
adjacent to the Silver Circle Hospitality Area on Sunday,
April 23. Please call Julie Watt at 310-656-4668 to obtain
media parking passes and event maps.
WHERE: Griffith Park
WHO: -- Marathon hosts Robert Wagner and Isaiah Washington
-- More than 10,000 participants including runners, members
of the media participating in the media invitational
relay challenge and spectators.
(Complete list of media participants follows)
WHY: All proceeds from the Marathon will benefit programs and
services at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica.
Since the first race in 1982, $8.8 million has been raised.
DETAILS: One of the largest five-person relay marathons in the United
States, the Saint John's Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon is
comprised of 17 divisions, according to age, gender and
corporate/industry affiliation. Each individual runs 5.2
miles before passing on the baton for a total of 26 miles.
The Relay Marathon has categories for everyone including,
the Diaper Dash and the Kids Races, as well as the third
annual media invitational relay challenge.
Teams Entered in the Media Invitational Relay Challenge
-- KCBS - 2 TV
-- KNBC - 4 TV
-- KABC - 7 TV
-- KCAL - 9 TV
-- FOX 11 News
-- Access Hollywood
-- LA Sport and Fitness Magazine
-- KEARTH Radio
-- Surfsantamonica.com
-- The Malibu Times
-- KVEA - Telemundo
-- Tu Ciadad Magazine
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Wagner signs on for "Legal" season finale
LOS ANGELES - Robert Wagner will guest-star in the two-hour season finale of ABC's "Boston Legal," which is slated to air May 16.
The veteran actor will play Ashley Goldman, the senior partner in the Los Angeles-based office of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, who is described as tanned, manicured and relaxed, a powerful and cagey attorney with the panache and style of old-school Hollywood.
Wagner next will be seen in the children's movie "Hoot," which opens May 5 via New Line. His recent credits include a recurring role in the ABC sitcom "Hope & Faith," and a memorable stint as Number Two in the "Austin Powers" movies.
The veteran actor will play Ashley Goldman, the senior partner in the Los Angeles-based office of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, who is described as tanned, manicured and relaxed, a powerful and cagey attorney with the panache and style of old-school Hollywood.
Wagner next will be seen in the children's movie "Hoot," which opens May 5 via New Line. His recent credits include a recurring role in the ABC sitcom "Hope & Faith," and a memorable stint as Number Two in the "Austin Powers" movies.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Boston Legal
Actor Robert Wagner (Hart to Hart) was in Escondido Thursday taping television commercials with Angelo Damante, the owner of Mercedes-Benz of Escondido. Wagner told Damante and longtime friend, sportscaster Charlie Jones, that his next TV assignment is to head up the West Coast law office on ABC's quirky series, Boston Legal. After the day's shoot, the actor dined at Vincent's on West Grand before driving back to Los Angeles in the new Mercedes he had purchased.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Friday, March 31, 2006
Best bets on TV tonight
Las Vegas: 9 p.m., NBC. Danny and Mike want to focus on investigating some break-ins. Instead, they also have to pose for a beefcake calendar. Meanwhile, Jillian (Cheryl Ladd) worries that her flawed marriage to Ed (James Caan) is a bad example and has caused their daughter to stay single. Guest stars include Robert Wagner (as an ex-convict), Brooke Burke and Hal Sparks.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
NRMLA Elects Lender Lead Solutions CEO David Peskin to Board
Senior Educational Innovator to Join Premier Reverse Mortgage Group
Lender Lead Solutions, the premier mortgage educator and lead provider, is proud to announce that CEO David Peskin has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders' Association (NRMLA).
"I'm honored to have been named to NRMLA's board," said Peskin. "I hope to be able to use my new position to build senior awareness about the powerful financial benefits of reverse mortgages."
As the official voice of the reverse mortgage industry, NRMLA is responsible for representing the industry's interests in Congress while promoting reverse mortgage education. As a new member of the board, Peskin will serve a unique role in helping to improve all aspects of the reverse mortgage process from the standpoint of lenders and consumers. Some of the board's current projects include:
* The passage of the "Reverse Mortgages To Help America's Seniors Act,"
which would remove the cap on the number of reverse mortgages that the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can insure.
* Working with HUD and other agencies to improve reverse mortgage counseling.
* Promoting reverse mortgages in conjunction with the National Council on the Aging.
As the founder of Lender Lead Solutions' Senior Lending Network program, Peskin is no stranger to reverse mortgages. Founded in 2003, the Senior Lending Network was created to educate consumers about reverse mortgages and put them in touch with local lenders.
About Lender Lead Solutions
Lender Lead Solutions (LLS) was launched in 2003 to meet the lead generation needs of the mortgage industry. The company's programs use unique, celebrity-hosted TV advertisements and free DVDs to educate consumers about mortgages, while pairing them with qualified local lenders. LLS' Senior Lending Network campaign, hosted by renowned actor Robert Wagner, was developed to educate seniors about the powerful benefits of reverse mortgages.
About NRMLA
Established in December 1997, NRMLA is a national trade association for firms that originate, service, and invest in reverse mortgages. Its members make and service more than 90 percent of all reverse mortgages in the U.S.
Media Contact:
Ben Abelson
Lender Lead Solutions
Marketing Associate
631-773-5139
babelson@lenderleadsolutions.com
Lender Lead Solutions, the premier mortgage educator and lead provider, is proud to announce that CEO David Peskin has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders' Association (NRMLA).
"I'm honored to have been named to NRMLA's board," said Peskin. "I hope to be able to use my new position to build senior awareness about the powerful financial benefits of reverse mortgages."
As the official voice of the reverse mortgage industry, NRMLA is responsible for representing the industry's interests in Congress while promoting reverse mortgage education. As a new member of the board, Peskin will serve a unique role in helping to improve all aspects of the reverse mortgage process from the standpoint of lenders and consumers. Some of the board's current projects include:
* The passage of the "Reverse Mortgages To Help America's Seniors Act,"
which would remove the cap on the number of reverse mortgages that the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can insure.
* Working with HUD and other agencies to improve reverse mortgage counseling.
* Promoting reverse mortgages in conjunction with the National Council on the Aging.
As the founder of Lender Lead Solutions' Senior Lending Network program, Peskin is no stranger to reverse mortgages. Founded in 2003, the Senior Lending Network was created to educate consumers about reverse mortgages and put them in touch with local lenders.
About Lender Lead Solutions
Lender Lead Solutions (LLS) was launched in 2003 to meet the lead generation needs of the mortgage industry. The company's programs use unique, celebrity-hosted TV advertisements and free DVDs to educate consumers about mortgages, while pairing them with qualified local lenders. LLS' Senior Lending Network campaign, hosted by renowned actor Robert Wagner, was developed to educate seniors about the powerful benefits of reverse mortgages.
About NRMLA
Established in December 1997, NRMLA is a national trade association for firms that originate, service, and invest in reverse mortgages. Its members make and service more than 90 percent of all reverse mortgages in the U.S.
Media Contact:
Ben Abelson
Lender Lead Solutions
Marketing Associate
631-773-5139
babelson@lenderleadsolutions.com
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
What Becomes a Legend Most?
Click to enlarge
Robert Wagner (center), celebrates his Copper Wing Award and Tribute at a private party held during the Phoenix Film Festival on March 24, 2006 with filmmakers Brian (left) and Dean Ronalds.
Phoenix film fest draws celebrities, bigger crowds
PHOENIX - Film competition screenings are about to go dark as the Phoenix Film Festival completes this year's event Thursday.
Filmmakers, celebrities and film lovers from throughout Arizona, Hollywood and New York have been participating in the sixth-annual, eight-day movie event at Harkins 101,Scottsdale Road and Loop 101.
There were 850 films submitted this year, 250 features and 600 shorts, 15 percent of which were from Arizona filmmakers.
Program director Greg Hall of Surprise was the final decisionmaker of the festival's 359 feature presentations and 50 shorts. At closing, 200 volunteers will have worked the event, and 20,000 moviegoers will have attended, up by 5,000 from 2005.
The event paid tribute to veteran actor Robert Wagner, who appears in two festival selections, Little Victims and Universal Pictures' Hoot. He received the Copper Wing Award.
Little Victims, which was shot in Phoenix, won the award for Best Arizona Short Film. The eight-minute dark comedy about what lies at the end of the rainbow was produced by local filmmakers, the Ronalds Brothers (Brian and Dean) of Gilbert, and was written by Bruce Dellis of Tempe. It featured Wagner with actress Lori Singer of Los Angeles and Phoenix-area actors Brian Ronalds and Laura Durant.
"I have made several films in Arizona over the years including Broken Lance with Spencer Tracy, Love Among Thieves with Audrey Hepburn and we brought our Hart to Hart show here, too," Wagner said.
"It's wonderful working here," he said. "There is a great film community in Arizona, and I look forward to working with the Ronalds Brothers on their next film here, NetherBeast, in the coming months."
Wagner said he had wanted to be in movies since he was a boy and considered himself very lucky that it happened.
This year's festival was a third bigger than last year in terms of selections, sponsors and programming, according to Chris LaMont, the festival's executive director.
An integral part of the festival is the educational outreach program, according to festival director Jason Carney of El Mirage.
"We had 500 students attending workshops from 20 middle school and high schools throughout Arizona to learn about the business and get experience working with professionals," Carney said.
Workshops are offered in screenwriting, acting, directing, producing, editing, casting and independent filmmaking.
Festival dates have already been set for April 12-19, 2007.
Filmmakers, celebrities and film lovers from throughout Arizona, Hollywood and New York have been participating in the sixth-annual, eight-day movie event at Harkins 101,Scottsdale Road and Loop 101.
There were 850 films submitted this year, 250 features and 600 shorts, 15 percent of which were from Arizona filmmakers.
Program director Greg Hall of Surprise was the final decisionmaker of the festival's 359 feature presentations and 50 shorts. At closing, 200 volunteers will have worked the event, and 20,000 moviegoers will have attended, up by 5,000 from 2005.
The event paid tribute to veteran actor Robert Wagner, who appears in two festival selections, Little Victims and Universal Pictures' Hoot. He received the Copper Wing Award.
Little Victims, which was shot in Phoenix, won the award for Best Arizona Short Film. The eight-minute dark comedy about what lies at the end of the rainbow was produced by local filmmakers, the Ronalds Brothers (Brian and Dean) of Gilbert, and was written by Bruce Dellis of Tempe. It featured Wagner with actress Lori Singer of Los Angeles and Phoenix-area actors Brian Ronalds and Laura Durant.
"I have made several films in Arizona over the years including Broken Lance with Spencer Tracy, Love Among Thieves with Audrey Hepburn and we brought our Hart to Hart show here, too," Wagner said.
"It's wonderful working here," he said. "There is a great film community in Arizona, and I look forward to working with the Ronalds Brothers on their next film here, NetherBeast, in the coming months."
Wagner said he had wanted to be in movies since he was a boy and considered himself very lucky that it happened.
This year's festival was a third bigger than last year in terms of selections, sponsors and programming, according to Chris LaMont, the festival's executive director.
An integral part of the festival is the educational outreach program, according to festival director Jason Carney of El Mirage.
"We had 500 students attending workshops from 20 middle school and high schools throughout Arizona to learn about the business and get experience working with professionals," Carney said.
Workshops are offered in screenwriting, acting, directing, producing, editing, casting and independent filmmaking.
Festival dates have already been set for April 12-19, 2007.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Will Smith in Big Screen Thief Adaptation
Universal Pictures has attached Will Smith to star in a feature adaptation of the TV series It Takes a Thief, reports Variety. The Roland Kibbee-created series, which starred Robert Wagner, ran 1968-70.
Smith will play a charming rogue who is blackmailed by the government into doing covert larceny for the good of his country. The film will put the professional thief in the employment of the CIA.
Smith and his Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter have come aboard to produce the film with Kevin Misher, John Davis and Joe Singer. Four Brothers screenwriters David Elliot and Paul Lovett are set to write the script.
Smith will play a charming rogue who is blackmailed by the government into doing covert larceny for the good of his country. The film will put the professional thief in the employment of the CIA.
Smith and his Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter have come aboard to produce the film with Kevin Misher, John Davis and Joe Singer. Four Brothers screenwriters David Elliot and Paul Lovett are set to write the script.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Ronalds Brothers Take Part in Honoring Robert Wagner at Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix, AZ - March 20, 2006
The Ronalds Brothers will take part in honoring actor Robert Wagner at this years Phoenix Film Festival. The Festival will recognize the contributions to cinema of the Hollywood Friday, March 24, 2006 at the Harkins Cine Capri at Scottsdale 101, 7000 East Mayo Blvd., Northeast Phoenix, and beginning at 7 p.m.
Wagner, whose Hollywood career lists nearly 200 credits over the past five decades in movies and television, is the quintessential leading actor of the American screen a man who is handsome, charming, and debonair, and whose style and presence invoke intelligence and wit equally. Baby Boomers remember Wagner fondly as the handsome heartthrob from films like THE PINK PANTHER and as the suave millionaire detective Jonathan Hart in the television series HART TO HART, and todays audiences know him as Dr. Evils eye-patched Number Twoin the Austin Powers film trilogy.
Last year, Wagner co-starred as the suave and dapper Howard in the short film Little Victim that was produced and directed by Arizona filmmakers Brian and Dean Ronalds with Kevin Berman as executive producer. Little Victim is an Official Selection of the 2006 Phoenix Film Festival and will be presented at the Harkins Cine Capri at Scottsdale 101 on Saturday, March 25 at 9:05 a.m., March 26 at 3:15 p.m. and March 29 at 5:20 p.m. Other members of the cast include Lori Singer, Laura Durant and Brian Ronalds.
Little Victim has already played as an Official Selection nearly a dozen film festivals world-wide, including: the 2006 Santa Barbara International Film Festival; Garden State International Film Festival; London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film; Tiburon International Film Festival; Queens International Film Festival; Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee and Sonoma Valley International Film Festival.
Over the last few years, the Ronalds Brothers have been actively producing short films, television programs, and music videos in the metro Phoenix area. Currently, the brothers are in pre-production for their first feature film Netherbeast Incorporated. The Phoenix Film Festival recognized the Ronald Brothers' contributions to Valley cinema in 2005 by naming them Arizona Filmmakers of the Year. To learn more about the brothers and their films, visit their website at http://www.ronaldsbrothers.com/.
# # #
About The Phoenix Film Festival
The Phoenix Film Festival is an organization that wishes to organize and perpetuate an exciting event that creates a community of film-lovers and filmmakers who encourage and educate the world about filmmaking and the art of the film. The goal is to promote independent filmmaking, with a spotlight on films made for under a million dollars and showcasing Arizona filmmaking. For more information on PFP, please visit the website at http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.com/.
The Ronalds Brothers will take part in honoring actor Robert Wagner at this years Phoenix Film Festival. The Festival will recognize the contributions to cinema of the Hollywood Friday, March 24, 2006 at the Harkins Cine Capri at Scottsdale 101, 7000 East Mayo Blvd., Northeast Phoenix, and beginning at 7 p.m.
Wagner, whose Hollywood career lists nearly 200 credits over the past five decades in movies and television, is the quintessential leading actor of the American screen a man who is handsome, charming, and debonair, and whose style and presence invoke intelligence and wit equally. Baby Boomers remember Wagner fondly as the handsome heartthrob from films like THE PINK PANTHER and as the suave millionaire detective Jonathan Hart in the television series HART TO HART, and todays audiences know him as Dr. Evils eye-patched Number Twoin the Austin Powers film trilogy.
Last year, Wagner co-starred as the suave and dapper Howard in the short film Little Victim that was produced and directed by Arizona filmmakers Brian and Dean Ronalds with Kevin Berman as executive producer. Little Victim is an Official Selection of the 2006 Phoenix Film Festival and will be presented at the Harkins Cine Capri at Scottsdale 101 on Saturday, March 25 at 9:05 a.m., March 26 at 3:15 p.m. and March 29 at 5:20 p.m. Other members of the cast include Lori Singer, Laura Durant and Brian Ronalds.
Little Victim has already played as an Official Selection nearly a dozen film festivals world-wide, including: the 2006 Santa Barbara International Film Festival; Garden State International Film Festival; London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film; Tiburon International Film Festival; Queens International Film Festival; Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee and Sonoma Valley International Film Festival.
Over the last few years, the Ronalds Brothers have been actively producing short films, television programs, and music videos in the metro Phoenix area. Currently, the brothers are in pre-production for their first feature film Netherbeast Incorporated. The Phoenix Film Festival recognized the Ronald Brothers' contributions to Valley cinema in 2005 by naming them Arizona Filmmakers of the Year. To learn more about the brothers and their films, visit their website at http://www.ronaldsbrothers.com/.
# # #
About The Phoenix Film Festival
The Phoenix Film Festival is an organization that wishes to organize and perpetuate an exciting event that creates a community of film-lovers and filmmakers who encourage and educate the world about filmmaking and the art of the film. The goal is to promote independent filmmaking, with a spotlight on films made for under a million dollars and showcasing Arizona filmmaking. For more information on PFP, please visit the website at http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.com/.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Festival working to buff its image with moviegoers
There are moviegoers and there are film buffs. The intent of the Phoenix Film Festival is to convert the former into the latter.
The cheese in the trap are "showcase" features starring Bruce Willis, Hugh Grant or Luke Wilson, many of them already scheduled for wide release in coming months. Among the stars appearing at this year's event are Laurence Fishburne, Robert Wagner and Melissa Joan Hart.
"A lot of people who are not familiar with film festivals need to see stars in their movie to make them want to see the film," festival director Chris Lamont says. "Our hope is they'll see all the programming we have and want to see the other films, too."
The showcase movies this year are Fishburne's Akeelah and the Bee, about an inner-city girl who makes it to the National Spelling Bee; Grant's American Dreamz, a spoof on American Idol-style reality TV; and Lucky Number Slevin, a thriller starring Willis, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley.
The star power of that last movie alone is enough to attract a crowd, but the sixth annual festival, expanded from four to eight days, has enough variety to satiate the most rabid film buff. Eleven competition features will vie for Copper Wing awards, which include best picture, best director and best screenplay, there's a world cinema competition and a slew of short films.
"The film-festival crowd is a completely different animal," says Chris Gore, who will be in town for the screening of My Big Fat Independent Movie, a spoof on the indie world that he co-wrote and co-produced. "These people seek out movies at festivals . . . that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see."
"Seeing a movie at a festival is a different experience," says Gore, who's also the creator of the Web site filmthreat.com, "and I think a more intimate one (because) you have access to the filmmakers and actors. It's sort of the difference between going to a stadium to see your favorite band or going to a small dive bar where you can make eye contact."
Of course, most bands that play small dive bars are dreaming of someday filling stadiums, and the bulk of the titles at festivals like this one are by aspiring filmmakers who make shorts to display their talent. This year's festival includes eight shorts programs, in categories for live action, animated, world cinema, Arizona filmmakers, college and high-school/grade-school shorts.
"The shorts programs always sell out, because people love to see fresh talent and new ideas," Lamont says. "And if they don't like the movie they're watching, it's going to be over in five minutes anyway."
The event begins Thursday at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 with a reception at 5 p.m. and the Arizona première of Akeelah and the Bee at 7, followed by a Q&A with Fishburne and writer-director Doug Atchison. Admission to the opening gala is $40 ($30 for students and seniors).
Phoenix Film Festival
When: March 16 through March 30.
Where: Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. (Scottsdale Road and Loop 101), Phoenix.
Admission: $10 for individual screenings. Package options range from the $30 Flex Pass, good for four films, to the $425 VIP Patron Pass. Discounts for students and seniors.
Details: (602) 955-6444 or phoenixfilmfestival.com.
The cheese in the trap are "showcase" features starring Bruce Willis, Hugh Grant or Luke Wilson, many of them already scheduled for wide release in coming months. Among the stars appearing at this year's event are Laurence Fishburne, Robert Wagner and Melissa Joan Hart.
"A lot of people who are not familiar with film festivals need to see stars in their movie to make them want to see the film," festival director Chris Lamont says. "Our hope is they'll see all the programming we have and want to see the other films, too."
The showcase movies this year are Fishburne's Akeelah and the Bee, about an inner-city girl who makes it to the National Spelling Bee; Grant's American Dreamz, a spoof on American Idol-style reality TV; and Lucky Number Slevin, a thriller starring Willis, Josh Hartnett, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley.
The star power of that last movie alone is enough to attract a crowd, but the sixth annual festival, expanded from four to eight days, has enough variety to satiate the most rabid film buff. Eleven competition features will vie for Copper Wing awards, which include best picture, best director and best screenplay, there's a world cinema competition and a slew of short films.
"The film-festival crowd is a completely different animal," says Chris Gore, who will be in town for the screening of My Big Fat Independent Movie, a spoof on the indie world that he co-wrote and co-produced. "These people seek out movies at festivals . . . that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to see."
"Seeing a movie at a festival is a different experience," says Gore, who's also the creator of the Web site filmthreat.com, "and I think a more intimate one (because) you have access to the filmmakers and actors. It's sort of the difference between going to a stadium to see your favorite band or going to a small dive bar where you can make eye contact."
Of course, most bands that play small dive bars are dreaming of someday filling stadiums, and the bulk of the titles at festivals like this one are by aspiring filmmakers who make shorts to display their talent. This year's festival includes eight shorts programs, in categories for live action, animated, world cinema, Arizona filmmakers, college and high-school/grade-school shorts.
"The shorts programs always sell out, because people love to see fresh talent and new ideas," Lamont says. "And if they don't like the movie they're watching, it's going to be over in five minutes anyway."
The event begins Thursday at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 with a reception at 5 p.m. and the Arizona première of Akeelah and the Bee at 7, followed by a Q&A with Fishburne and writer-director Doug Atchison. Admission to the opening gala is $40 ($30 for students and seniors).
Phoenix Film Festival
When: March 16 through March 30.
Where: Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. (Scottsdale Road and Loop 101), Phoenix.
Admission: $10 for individual screenings. Package options range from the $30 Flex Pass, good for four films, to the $425 VIP Patron Pass. Discounts for students and seniors.
Details: (602) 955-6444 or phoenixfilmfestival.com.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Robert Wagner Golf Videos
View interviews with Robert Wagner at celebritygolf.com.
http://www.celebritygolf.com/celebrity-list.asp?search=Robert+Wagner#
http://www.celebritygolf.com/celebrity-list.asp?search=Robert+Wagner#
Four Designers From Bravo's Project Runway Will Attend FIDM'S L.A. Fashion Gala
FIDM/The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising presents its annual “L.A. Fashion Gala” on Saturday, March 4, 2006 with four very special alumni in attendance, who all appear on the hit Bravo television series Project Runway.
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) March 2, 2006 --
FIDM/The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising presents its annual “L.A. Fashion Gala” on Saturday, March 4, 2006 with four very special alumni in attendance, who all appear on the hit Bravo television series Project Runway. Guadalupe Vial ’01, Raymundo Baltazar ’04, Daniel Franco ’91 and Satino Rice ’94, who are all FIDM graduates, will attend the gala this Saturday. Additionally, FIDM graduate Nick Verreos, who also appeared in the series, is out of town and unable to attend. An annual event, which benefits the FIDM Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization assisting students with completion of their education. The evening’s activities will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and will be hosted by actor Robert Wagner, with a special guest appearance by Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant.
The evening is designed to highlight the work of FIDM Theatre Costume Design and Advanced Study Fashion Design graduating students. The Debut Fashion Show is an important part of their learning experience, with graduates showcasing their designs on a 98 foot runway.
Ticket prices for the Scholarship Benefit start at $350 per person. For public information please call: 213-624-1200.
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) March 2, 2006 --
FIDM/The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising presents its annual “L.A. Fashion Gala” on Saturday, March 4, 2006 with four very special alumni in attendance, who all appear on the hit Bravo television series Project Runway. Guadalupe Vial ’01, Raymundo Baltazar ’04, Daniel Franco ’91 and Satino Rice ’94, who are all FIDM graduates, will attend the gala this Saturday. Additionally, FIDM graduate Nick Verreos, who also appeared in the series, is out of town and unable to attend. An annual event, which benefits the FIDM Scholarship Foundation, a non-profit organization assisting students with completion of their education. The evening’s activities will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California and will be hosted by actor Robert Wagner, with a special guest appearance by Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant.
The evening is designed to highlight the work of FIDM Theatre Costume Design and Advanced Study Fashion Design graduating students. The Debut Fashion Show is an important part of their learning experience, with graduates showcasing their designs on a 98 foot runway.
Ticket prices for the Scholarship Benefit start at $350 per person. For public information please call: 213-624-1200.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Sinatra tourney swings for valley kids
Children’s Center at Eisenhower Medical reaps event’s rewards
This weekend, celebrities like Joe Mantegna, Robert Wagner and Michael Bolton will tee off at the 18th annual Frank Sinatra Countrywide Celebrity Invitational.
Music legend Smokey Robinson will croon for lucky guests at the annual gala, bringing back tunes of Motown's heyday.
But amid the parties, glitz and glamour, star-gazers should remember the critical importance of this landmark valley event.
Over the years, the star-studded golf tournament, known simply as "The Sinatra," has raised more than $10 million dollars for the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, a nonprofit organization that counsels physically, sexually and emotionally abused children.
The Children's Center, at the Eisenhower Medical Center, offers a safe environment for children in need of therapy. Eight licensed clinicians counsel victims usually between six months and a year, depending on their case's severity.
"Helping one (abused) child helps all of the community," said executive director Susan Reynolds. "And it's the right thing to do."
She cited studies that showed untreated child abuse led to long-term problems, such as heart disease, cancer and an inability to hold steady jobs or healthy relationships.
Reynolds said the center has helped tens of thousands of children since the Sinatras founded it in 1986. An average of 198 distinct cases walk through its doors each month, and that number is growing.
"Everyone is very proud the population is increasing, but with that comes certain responsibilities," Reynolds said.
Clinicians encourage abused children to work through their feelings by drawing pictures and ascribing emotions to colors, among other methods.
The center's architecture, which Reynolds said Barbara Sinatra personally oversaw, is designed to sooth and calm young visitors.
The center includes east Riverside County's only children's forensic exam room. Children thought to be suffering ongoing sexual abuse can be examined non-invasively in a space filled with dolls and friendly animal paintings, instead of your typical emergency room.
The exams also are recorded so victims don't have to relive the trauma of their abuse in court.
Reynolds said the Sinatras have always been "avid volunteers." She added that Barbara, the center's founder and chairwoman, wanted to build a permanent counseling facility in the early 1980s after volunteering for a child therapy group that floated around local churches.
This year marks the center's 20th anniversary. These days the center sees more grandparents as legal guardians, Reynolds said. Many times they take over after abuse or neglect by parents, and the center offers a support group to help grandparents adjust.
"(Child abuse) crosses all social, economic and ethnic groups," she stressed.
This weekend, celebrities like Joe Mantegna, Robert Wagner and Michael Bolton will tee off at the 18th annual Frank Sinatra Countrywide Celebrity Invitational.
Music legend Smokey Robinson will croon for lucky guests at the annual gala, bringing back tunes of Motown's heyday.
But amid the parties, glitz and glamour, star-gazers should remember the critical importance of this landmark valley event.
Over the years, the star-studded golf tournament, known simply as "The Sinatra," has raised more than $10 million dollars for the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, a nonprofit organization that counsels physically, sexually and emotionally abused children.
The Children's Center, at the Eisenhower Medical Center, offers a safe environment for children in need of therapy. Eight licensed clinicians counsel victims usually between six months and a year, depending on their case's severity.
"Helping one (abused) child helps all of the community," said executive director Susan Reynolds. "And it's the right thing to do."
She cited studies that showed untreated child abuse led to long-term problems, such as heart disease, cancer and an inability to hold steady jobs or healthy relationships.
Reynolds said the center has helped tens of thousands of children since the Sinatras founded it in 1986. An average of 198 distinct cases walk through its doors each month, and that number is growing.
"Everyone is very proud the population is increasing, but with that comes certain responsibilities," Reynolds said.
Clinicians encourage abused children to work through their feelings by drawing pictures and ascribing emotions to colors, among other methods.
The center's architecture, which Reynolds said Barbara Sinatra personally oversaw, is designed to sooth and calm young visitors.
The center includes east Riverside County's only children's forensic exam room. Children thought to be suffering ongoing sexual abuse can be examined non-invasively in a space filled with dolls and friendly animal paintings, instead of your typical emergency room.
The exams also are recorded so victims don't have to relive the trauma of their abuse in court.
Reynolds said the Sinatras have always been "avid volunteers." She added that Barbara, the center's founder and chairwoman, wanted to build a permanent counseling facility in the early 1980s after volunteering for a child therapy group that floated around local churches.
This year marks the center's 20th anniversary. These days the center sees more grandparents as legal guardians, Reynolds said. Many times they take over after abuse or neglect by parents, and the center offers a support group to help grandparents adjust.
"(Child abuse) crosses all social, economic and ethnic groups," she stressed.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Robert Wagner Guest Stars on ABC's "Hope & Faith" During February Sweeps
Robert Wagner and Mark Consuelos reprise their guest-starring roles on ABC’s comedy “Hope & Faith” in February sweeps. Wagner (“Hart to Hart,” “Austin Powers” trilogy) plays Hope and Faith’s father, Jack Fairfield, and Consuelos, co-star of the television series “Missing,” returns as former baseball star Gary ‘The Gooch’ Gucharez, who was married to Faith (Kelly Ripa) for five days last year. Consuelos and Ripa are married in real life.
Mark Consuelos will appear in two episodes, and Robert Wagner in one. In the first, “Now and Zen” (airing Friday, February 3, 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET), the Gooch returns from playing baseball in Japan. But Faith’s hopes of reconciliation with her old flame are crushed when she learns that he has taken a vow of celibacy as part of his new Zen lifestyle. In the second episode, “Meet the Parent,” the Gooch meets Faith’s dad when Jack (Robert Wagner) comes to town for a family party, but their first meeting gets off to a rocky start.
Robert Wagner, who just finished filming a family comedy entitled “Hoot” with Luke Wilson and Tim Blake Nelson, is lending his voice to an animated comedy-adventure feature, “Yankee Irving,” and is co-starring in the upcoming feature comedy, “The Man in the Chair” with Christopher Plummer.
Mark Consuelos will appear in two episodes, and Robert Wagner in one. In the first, “Now and Zen” (airing Friday, February 3, 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET), the Gooch returns from playing baseball in Japan. But Faith’s hopes of reconciliation with her old flame are crushed when she learns that he has taken a vow of celibacy as part of his new Zen lifestyle. In the second episode, “Meet the Parent,” the Gooch meets Faith’s dad when Jack (Robert Wagner) comes to town for a family party, but their first meeting gets off to a rocky start.
Robert Wagner, who just finished filming a family comedy entitled “Hoot” with Luke Wilson and Tim Blake Nelson, is lending his voice to an animated comedy-adventure feature, “Yankee Irving,” and is co-starring in the upcoming feature comedy, “The Man in the Chair” with Christopher Plummer.
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